A local search is underway for the owner of a violent dog that attacked and killed another dog Friday night in the Ocean Park neighborhood.
On Friday, April 11 at about 5:30 p.m. Alyssa Kluge and Christoper Dietrick were walking their toy poodle, Dublin, eastbound on Strand in between Main Street and 2nd. As they approached the side of the Samosa House they saw a dark-haired man leaning into the passenger side window of a parked car talking to someone in the driver’s seat while holding a black and grey pitbull on a leash.
As the couple walked past the man and dog, the dog lunched and mauled Dublin.
“The pit bull wouldn’t release him even as I began punching the pit bull over and over again,” said Dietrick. “The man tackled his dog as I kept punching. The pit bull finally released and Alyssa cradled Dublin. There were tufts of fur and skin around, and lots of blood. Also lots of cash on the ground around us that the driver came around to pick up. Many many people stopped and ran over to us. As we cradled Dublin and I began to call 911, the man and his pit bull took off running northbound on Main Street. People brought us towels and paper towels. We kept trying to stop the bleeding as I called 911 first, who advised us to get to an emergency vet.”
Dietrick said a woman who witnessed the attack gave them a ride to the nearest vet emergency. While the vet was ready as soon as they stopped at the curb and ran inside, a few minutes after arriving, they said Dublin had passed.
The pair have reported the incident to the Santa Monica Police Department and nearby businesses have shared security video of the time but the owner of the dog that attacked them has yet to be identified.
Anyone with information about the attack or the suspect is asked to call Kluge at 517-803-5158
