Woman Watched Pit Bull Grab Her Pet Dog by Its Head in Deadly Attack

A California dog owner has recalled the moment she saw a pit bull clamp her pet's head in its jaws before it died.

Mimi Nguyen, a veterinarian in San Francisco, was walking home from work with her 15-year-old Maltipoo in late August when a pit bull suddenly attacked her pet, ABC7 reported.

Maltipoo dogs are a mix between Maltese and toy or miniature Poodle breeds. They are known to be affectionate and friendly to strangers.

"I turned my head and my dog Boo Boo's head was in the dog's mouth. I couldn't do anything about it," Nguyen told ABC7.

Nguyen said Boo Boo was left with puncture wounds in his head. In an attempt to save her dog's life, Nguyen took Boo Boo to a vet's office where she used to work. But, sadly, Boo Boo had died.

A video released by San Francisco Police Department and seen by ABC7 shows a blonde pit bull lunging at Boo Boo near Market and Octavia. A second clip shows a woman appearing to walk away from the scene with a dog.

According to a 2014 literature review by the American Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Division, evidence does not suggest that pit bulls are disproportionately dangerous in comparison to other dogs.

Pit bulls are the breed most often implicated in the small number of attacks against humans resulting in severe injuries or deaths. But this may be due to the popularity of the breed in the victim's community, biases in how such incidents are documented as dogs may be misidentified, and how the owner treats its dog, for instance by making it fight. In addition, owners of stigmatized breeds such as pit bulls are more likely to be involved in criminal or violent acts, the association says.

Pit bulls are also among breeds most often involved in serious biting incidents, alongside German shepherds, Rottweilers, Jack Russell terriers, chow chows, spaniels, collies, Saint Bernards, Labrador retrievers, and mixed breeds.

The AVMA is opposed to legislation that targets specific breeds of dog, most often pit bulls, stating that "any dog can bite, regardless of its breed."

Nguyen said although she fears the woman and her dog will never be tracked down, she hopes to get justice for her dog, who she said was feisty, loved playing with her other dogs, and enjoyed vegetables.

In light of the incident, San Francisco Police Department told ABC7 that pet owners should be aware of their surroundings, and report cases of unleashed dogs to its Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit.