Rottweiler kills chihuahua on street

Nicholas Read
Vancouver Sun

Thursday, February 27, 2003

Johanna Hickey is grieving today for a dog that was killed right before her eyes.

It happened on Tuesday. She and her 13-year-old chihuahua, Benson, were walking along Seymour Street around noon when suddenly, Hickey said, "I saw this brown flash on my left-hand side, and a big dog had grabbed Benson and wouldn't let go.

"I hit it, I screamed, but it wouldn't let go," Hickey said Wednesday, trying to hold back her tears. "He had his jaws clamped on either side of Benson. Benson was screaming. There was blood all over."

Eventually, with the help of a passerby, Hickey managed to rescue Benson, but it was too late. "I picked up Benson and he was torn apart. He died in my arms."

The attacking dog, a Rottweiler cross, belonged to a 19-year-old street person who was subsequently arrested by police on an unrelated theft charge. The dog is now at the Vancouver city pound, where officials want to destroy it.

"We hope the owner contacts us and requests that the dog be signed over to be [destroyed]," said animal-control supervisor Bob Cristofoli.

If he doesn't, the pound will apply to the court to have the dog destroyed under the provincial Livestock Protection Act.

Cristofoli called the incident tragic and "freakish," and said the rottweiler's owner was irresponsible for not having the dog on a leash but he added it would be a mistake to suggest that most street people don't look after their dogs well.

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