FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A woman grieving over the death of her beloved Pomeranian said her pet was mutilated by pit bulls that are currently still with their owner.
The dog attack in Fort Lauderdale has left the community second-guessing its safety.
"I have never, ever seen a violent act like this, ever," said a neighbor who witnessed the attack.
According to Broward County Animal Care, Maria Vecherskaya was walking her Pomeranian named Maximus along Northeast Third Avenue near 13th Street, and at the same time, Lindsey Christy, who lives around the corner, was out with her two pit bulls.
Suddenly, Christy lost control of the dogs and they attacked Maximus.
"It was crazy. It was bloody. It was so violent," the neighbor said.
The man, who didn't want to appear on camera, witnessed the attack and said it was incredibly gruesome.
Vecherskaya fell to the ground with her pup and was holding him to her chest to try to protect him, but the two attack dogs kept at it, as their owner looked on and the concerned neighbor desperately tried to help.
"They were just out of control, and these are big dogs. And I'm not a huge guy, but I'm a big guy, and I couldn't pull that dog off for nothing," the neighbor said.
It went on that way for several minutes until, finally, Maximus went limp and the two pit bulls let go.
Christian Ackerman, who lives next door, said he came out right when all the commotion ended and he could tell the Pomeranian was already dead.
"Really bad, really bad," Ackerman said. "Looked like it was ripped apart."
Days later, a memorial has been set up where the attack happened. Local 10 News ran into Vecherskaya while there, but her lawyers wouldn't let her speak to us.
Local 10 News also tried to speak to Christy on Friday, but when we went to her home twice, no one answered the door.
Broward Animal Care did not confiscate the dogs, telling Local 10 News they had not been previously designated as dangerous and Christy had agreed to keep them confined.
But people living in the neighborhood don't think that's enough.
"The neighbors, everyone stopped walking their dogs. People are petrified to come out here," one neighbor said.
Broward Animal Care gave the owner of the pit bulls eight citations: four for dog bites, two for failure to register the dogs and two for failure to provide rabies vaccines.
Vecherskaya and her lawyers are also looking into separate legal action.