The owner of an 8-year-old Chihuahua named Ace was left ‘heartbroken” and “angry” after she watched her pet being mauled to death by a larger, unleashed dog.
Maria Mendoza told local outlet NBC2 that she witnessed Ace’s June 29 attack in front of her Immokalee, Florida, home on her Ring doorbell camera. The graphic video appears to show a man on a golf cart drive by as a large dog runs behind. The dog veers off, charges at Ace and kills the small dog in less than a minute. In the clip, the large dog’s owner appears to leave the scene without checking on Ace. While Ace was on his owner’s property, he was also unleashed during the attack.
“I was crying all the way home, praying to God that my dog would hold on until I got there so I could say my final goodbyes,” Mendoza said.
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Collier County Domestic Animal Services (CCDAS) responded to the attack by announcing the unleashed dog that mauled Ace would be euthanized on July 5 and that the owner would be fined, NBC2 reported. CCDAS, which said the investigation into Ace’s death remains active, urged owners to watch their dogs when outside and to keep their pets on a leash.
Newsweek has reached out via email to CCDAS for comment.
Mendoza said to NBC2 that she was upset the owner of the dog didn’t stop to check on her dog. The owner of the attacking dog appears to have left the scene at Custer Avenue in his golf cart without stopping or showing any concern for the mortally wounded Chihuahua.
“I was very heartbroken. I wanted to say my final goodbyes. It was so upsetting seeing my dog in its cold blood,” she said.
The attack has sparked debate in the community about responsible pet ownership and the need for steeper punishments for pet owners who violate local “leash laws” to prevent similar tragedies.
“I’m so angry at them for not knocking on the door, or they could have at least taken action,” Mendoza said, expressing her frustration with the lack of accountability or remorse.
“The dog owner didn’t care,” she said. “He didn’t care to check on my dog. They didn’t care to knock on the door and let us know, ‘hey my dog just attacked your dog.'”
NBC2 reporter Ryan Clarke Arbogast shared the disturbing video of the deadly attack on his Twitter account.
“VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: An NBC2 viewer shared this exclusive video from her home in Immokalee on Thursday,” he tweeted. “Dog off leash -Owner ignored attack CCDAS says the attack dog is being euthanized Wednesday, the man has been fined, and the investigation is active.”
In Collier County, it’s illegal for dogs to “run at large,” according to the county’s website, which states that owners can face fines of up to $500 for violations.
