Police are investigating after a beloved pet cavoodle was mauled to death by two other dogs, with a man who tried to break up the fight also badly injured.
Patrick Crisostomo, 30, was walking Kevy – who he was pet sitting for a family member – on the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail at Westmeadows in Melbourne last Thursday when two ferocious dogs, he believes were pitbulls, ran at them from behind.
Mr Crisostomo said he could feel Kevy "being pulled and ripped" as he attempted to jump on top of the 15-year-old dog to save him, but sadly, the pet's injuries were too severe and he died shortly after.
Mr Crisostomo's wife, Tze Han Kee aka Hanny, revealed on Facebook that her partner sustained "injuries on his back, legs and arms", and shared photos with Yahoo showing the bloody result of the unprovoked attack.
Although "well on the mend", Mr Crisostomo said the incident was "heartbreaking" and is now appealing to locate the owner of the vicious dogs.
On Facebook, Hanny claimed they "did nothing to help my husband and the dog", adding they "left the scene" quickly after securing their dogs.
Mr Crisostomo said he "dropped to the ground" and started yelling for help "just to get attention," but the owner did nothing, he claims.
Police are now investigating a blue stick that was left at the scene, which was apparently used by the owner to eventually "hit his dogs".
"Once he managed to get hold of his dogs, he walked away. I honestly want justice, because it’s quite cowardly of this man," Mr Crisostomo told 7 News.
Despite a language barrier, the pet sitter said "[the owner] knew I was bloodied and hurt" and said more should have been done.
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Two bystanders reportedly jumped in to help, with one holding the badly injured Kevy while triple-0 was called.
It was at this point Mr Crisostomo was told by the bystander that Kevy was only "lightly breathing" and tragically died shortly after.
"I do want this man caught because if he’s willing to do this to someone, if he’s OK to walk away from someone like this once, he’ll do it again," he said.
Mr Crisostomo needed stitches to his leg and upper body and sustained multiple scratches and bruises, Victoria police said in a statement.
"The two attacking dogs were described as medium build and stocky, possibly pit bulls. One was black and the other was brown and white," they said.
"The man who was with the dogs was perceived to be Middle Eastern in appearance with a medium build, approximately 175cm tall, aged in his late 30s, with short dark hair.
"The victim has told police the owner of the two dogs attempted to hit the animals with a stick to stop them from attacking before fleeing the scene, without assisting Kevy and his owner."
Police are appealing for any witnesses around the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail area at the time of the incident, and any information that may assist in identifying the owner and his two dogs.
"We just want the owner of the dogs to own up to what he has done," Ms Kee told Yahoo News Australia.
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