A family have been left distraught after their beloved pet Cavapoo died after being attacked by another dog while out on a walk in Bristol. Julie Chatzimargiotis said her 13-year-old son and partner were out walking Ciccio in the Barton Hill area around 10.30am on Sunday morning (April 14) when the attack happened.
The dog, believed to be a rottweiler-pitbull, was allegedly off its leash when it attacked the family during their morning walk. Ms Chatzimargiotis said her partner tried to hold off the dog and told their son to run-off with Ciccio. The boy did manage to get away at first, but unfortunately the dog was able to find them and that's when he reportedly attacked Ciccio, killing the one-year-old puppy. Both humans also suffered minor injuries during the incident.
Ms Chatzimargiotis told Bristol Live that her family has been left distraught following the attack, which also reportedly saw a second dog injured. She said it took other members of the public to restrain the dangerous dog, which was later seized by police.
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Avon and Somerset Police said they received multiple calls about a large dog on the lose in Bristol that had reportedly killed another dog and attacked two people. A force spokesperson has confirmed that a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. He has been released on bail.
Ms Chatzimargiotis said: “When the dog attacked my family, my partner managed to hold it off so my son, who was carrying Ciccio, could escape. Sadly the dog found him with our dog and killed it.
“My son was hurt on the shoulder, his clothes were covered in blood from the dogs. My partner had scratches on his hand from trying to protect them.
“Ciccio was a big part of our lives, we are all so distraught. My son didn’t go to school on Monday, we all don’t know what to do. It won’t be long before someone is killed by dangerous dogs. I just want to prevent people and pets from being hurt by these attacks in the future.”
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We received multiple calls at approximately 10.30am on Sunday ( April 14) about a large dog loose in the Barton Hill area of Bristol and that it had killed one dog and attacked another. Two people also sustained minor injuries.
“Officers attended and seized the dog, which was being restrained by members of the public. It is being kept in a police kennel pending an assessment of its breed.
“A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. He has since been released on conditional police bail.
“Enquiries are ongoing. If you have any information which could help our investigation, please call 101 and quote reference 5224094855.”
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