Dog attacks 89-year-old Farmington Hills woman, kills her dog

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WJBK) - While out on a walk in Farmington Hills on Monday, an 89-year-old woman was attacked and her dog was killed by a German shepherd.

The dog killed Dolly, an 8-year-old Shih Tzu.

"(I feel) just horrible because she sleeps with me" said victim Marie Clark. "She's right at my side all the time. It's like losing an arm or a leg."

Clark and Dolly were out on one of their four daily walks on Russet Drive near Orchard Lake Road. The German shepherd jumped out of an open window in his owner's truck and attacked both of them.

"It's growling and biting her, and I try to push her off. He knocks me into the street," Clark said. "I've got black and blue knees, my arm got all sore. But she's dead, that's the worst part about it."

The German shepherd had been left in the car for hours while its owner, a painter from Harrison Township, was painting the inside of a home across the street from Clark.

"I didn't know that he wanted to kill my dog but he sure did a good job of it," Clark said.

Clark had adopted Dolly after her husband John had died.

The man who owns the German shepherd that attacked Dolly was charged by Farmington Hills police for failure to confine his dog, and will be arraigned next week.

If convicted, he could face $500 in fines and up to 90 days in jail.

Clark said it was about 85 degrees outside and the German shepherd shouldn't have been left in the truck.

"That dog must've been angry and took it out on my dog," she said.

Clark said not today, but she does want to adopt another small dog in the future.