Serial dog maulings near parks in California city have prompted a police investigation

Serial dog maulings near parks in California city have prompted a police investigation A ‘completely awful’ fatal attack lasted about three minutes before an elderly dog was freed - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A California woman is mourning the loss of her 12-year-old dog after two cane corsos mauled the pet to death at an Oakland park, as other Bay Area residents report similar attacks that have prompted a police investigation. Tomiquia Moss was walking her dog, Pepper, Friday at Lakeside Park near Lake Merritt when the two off-leash dogs jumped over fences and charged toward them, she told SFGATE. The cane corsos, powerful guard dogs that can weigh more than 100 pounds, attacked Pepper so severely that she died despite efforts to save her. Moss said she was on the phone with her daughter when she heard a man shouting for someone to pick up their dog. Moments later, she saw the two dogs charging toward her and Pepper. “I couldn't get them to release her,” Moss told SFGATE. “I was screaming.” A park maintenance worker intervened as Moss and the dogs’ owner struggled to control the attacking animals. Pepper was finally freed after about three minutes, but she was in severe pain and struggling to breathe. By the time Moss reached a veterinarian, Pepper had suffered collapsed ribs. Despite efforts to stabilize her, the elderly dog died at the hospital, leaving Moss and her wife devastated. “I actually can't describe a more horrific experience, and I've been through some things in my life,” Moss said. “The way in which Pepper was taken from us has left us so shocked and angry and devastated,” she added. Since Pepper’s death, Moss said other Bay Area residents have reached out to her family with stories of similar attacks that may involve the same dogs and their owner. Tina Lauchengco, who witnessed the attack at Lakeside Park, told SFGATE that the incident was “completely awful.” She also shared video recorded by another person that appears to show the dogs’ owner restraining one animal before confronting a woman who was filming him. In the footage, the man can reportedly be seen taking one of the cane corsos out of a kennel before confronting the woman and chasing her toward the sidewalk. The woman can be heard demanding that the man and his dog stay away from her before she falls to the ground. The dog's mouth then obscures the camera lens, and the footage cuts off, according to the outlet. Lauchengco said she believes the woman was bitten during the encounter and that her dog suffered bite wounds to its neck and chin. The Oakland Police Department confirmed to SFGATE that it is investigating a series of incidents involving dogs injuring people and pets around local parks. Officials declined to provide further details because the investigation remains open. The Independent has also contacted the Oakland Police Department and Oakland Animal Services for comment. Despite the ongoing investigation, Moss and her family are struggling to cope with Pepper’s death, made harder by the fact that the dogs have yet to be located. “She's not here anymore,” Moss told SFGATE. “And so that is what we are grappling with, hour to hour, minute by minute — trying to figure out what our lives are going to be like without our Pepper.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments