Woman wants justice after her shih tzu was killed by neighbor's dogs

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A family pet is viciously killed by two other dogs in Rochester Hills and the animals that attacked are still living with their owner.

That's making other neighbors very nervous, afraid to go anywhere near the home. That's why the owner of the shih tzu wants the dogs put down. 

She fears the dogs could attack again - and next time it could be a small child.

Rustine Jasiszewski is haunted by the memory of what happened to her 3-year-old shih tzu Riley.

"Today my dog is dead, my beautiful little shih tzu is dead," she said.

Last week she says she was walking her dog by a house on Melvin Avenue in Rochester Hills when all of a sudden a pit bull and American bulldog pushed through the unlatched gate, snatched the small dog, dragged it back into the yard and began mauling it.

"It was like time stood still," Jasiszewski said. "I was frozen, I was in shock, I was in disbelief and she (dog owner) was screaming at the dog 'Get off of him.' I even kicked the pit bull and it didn't even look at me. It squeezed and squeezed his neck his eyes came out of his head literally."

For some reason the large dog eventually dropped Riley. Jasiszewski says she grabbed Riley and rushed him to the emergency veterinarian who says the injuries were too severe to survive. Riley had to be put down.

A neighbor saw what happened and called the Oakland County Sheriff's Office who wrote the dog owner Patricia Santo a ticket for a dangerous dog violation. Animal Control investigated, but the dogs are still there.

"I blame the owner for not having control over her dogs," said Jasiszewski. "I blame the owner for not having her gate latched, not even having a latch on her gate. After the sheriff came then she put a bungee cord over gate."

FOX 2 found the bungee cord wrapped around the gate. As we tried to speak to Santo about what happened,  she ignored our knock and shut her shades.

According to the police report, Santo blames Jasiszewski claims she told her to quote "keep your dog off my property."

Jasiszewski claims her leashed dog was walking by the property when it was attacked. She is demanding the pit bull and American bulldog to be put down before this happens again.

"I think that the animals are dangerous and what if I was walking my child," she said. "What if I had a child, a 3-year-old child walking by their mail box."

FOX 2 was unable to contact Animal Control as to the reason why the dogs are still with their owner. The office was already closed.