(KRON) — A San Jose man is grieving the death of his cat after it was fatally mauled by an aggressive dog outside his home over the weekend.
Chris Fowler said his 9-year-old cat, named Tootie Pootie, “was my everything. She was all I had. It’s traumatizing.” The dog appeared to be a pit bull, he said.
On Saturday afternoon, Fowler returned home from work and let his cat out of his apartment to get some fresh air. Tootie Pootie was sitting outside the apartment on Magliocco Drive when a man, girl, and large dog approached.
The girl was walking the dog on a long leash, but the dog easily overpowered the girl as it lunged toward the cat, surveillance video shows.
Surveillance cameras recorded the dog charging, dragging the girl by the leash, and attacking the cat.
Neither dog owner was able to free Tootie Pootie from their dog’s jaws, surveillance video shows. It wasn’t until Fowler stepped in that the cat finally broke free. “The dog overpowered the daughter and my cat was viciously attacked. I was also bit in the process of trying to pry my animal out of the dog’s jaws,” Fowler said.
(KRON4 edited the surveillance video below to exclude showing the cat being mauled).
Fowler said the dog owners apologized and fled the scene. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ Sorry doesn’t cut it,” Fowler told KRON4. “I want the owner of the pit bull to be held accountable and responsible for his animal’s action.”
The cat owner reported the incident to San Jose’s animal control agency. The duo’s identity and dog’s whereabouts remained unknown Monday.
San Jose Animal Care and Services told KRON4 that it is investigating the incident. “At this point we do not have any information on the dog owner and the dog. If the owner is found, they may be cited and ACS will pursue a Dangerous Dog hearing,” wrote Jay Terrado of San Jose ACS.
After Saturday’s attack, Tootie Pootie was rushed to a veterinary clinic suffering from internal bleeding and broken bones. Fowler held his cat for the last time before she was humanly euthanized at Veterinary Emergency Group.
“I have no family. She’s been through some of the roughest parts of my life and meant the world to me. She was so sweet and innocent. It is unfair the way she died. I miss her,” Fowler said.
The cat’s owner is asking for the public’s help to identify the dog owners. He hopes to hold them accountable through San Jose’s animal control authorities, and ensure another animal is not attacked.
Fowler said he had never seen the dog, nor its owners, in his neighborhood before the attack.
San Jose’s city ordinance states that dog owners must keep dogs on a leash on public sidewalks and in other public spaces. Dog owners are also required to maintain physical restraint, and a leash cannot be longer than 6-feet in length.
