It was all bite and no bark.
A tiny dog out for a first-birthday stroll with its owner in Greenpoint was mauled to death by a much bigger canine that the victim’s owner says was also leashed — but being held by owners who didn’t care that their pet had just chewed up and spit out another animal.
Lauren Schneider says she was taking her tiny Pomeranian Arlo out to do its business last Wednesday night at about 10:15 pm on Manhattan Avenue between Feeman and Green streets when a large, white dog that looked like a German Shepherd strolled up alongside two women and a man. Even though the dog was tethered to one of the three humans, the bipeds did nothing stop the larger dog from coming up to Schneider’s pocket-sized pup and biting it in its jaws of death, shocking the birthday boys owner.
“It happened so quick, I couldn’t process anything. I didn’t have time to pick Arlo up,” said Schneider. “I was in such a state of panic.”
The four bullies then walked away, leaving Arlo dying on the sidewalk.
“They didn’t say ‘sorry.’ They didn’t yell at the dog, nothing,” said Schneider. “It’s disgusting.”
Schneider’s sister then drove the distraught woman and her traumatized, screaming dog to the emergency animal hospital, but the pup died on the way there.
Schneider’s sister went to the 94th Precinct to report the attack, but police told her it was not a criminal matter.
Police we spoke to claimed there was nothing they could do about the attack, but said if the culprits were ever identified, a case could be made in civil court.
“The dog has a value,” said Sgt. Ernesto Nieves. “You can’t get the dog back to life, but you can get monetary compensation.”
To that end Schneider has plastered the neighborhood with fliers in the hope that someone will recognize the irresponsible dog owners and be willing to testify against them in court.
“I’ve seen them around here before and the dog was aggressive that time too,” said Schneider. “Someone has to know who these people are.”
Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.
