Dog Dies 'Horrific' Death
By ERIC S. PAGE
Updated 10:37 AM PST, Wed, Apr 1, 2009
Residents of an North County community are outraged about what happened to a dog after it was hit by a car.
Lucy, a Weimaraner, was hit by a vehicle near the intersection of Valley Center Road and Chaparral Terrace in Valley Center on March 8. Apparently, the driver that hit the dog didn't stop, but several other people did, including a woman who volunteered to drive Lucy to the vet.
Another motorist, though, thought Lucy should be put out of her misery then and there and allegedly took a hammer from his truck and struck Lucy with it.
"He pretty much got vigilante on everbody and decided this animal's fate and that he was the qualified individual to make that call," witness Anna Herrera said. "I don't know if in his eyes he thought it was doing the best thing for the dog, but no reasonable person decides to take an already injured animal and put it out of it's misery by beating in the head with a hammer. Nobody does that."
That, however, was not enough to kill the dog, which was euthanized by a sheriff deputy who shot Lucy after arriving at the scene.
Lucy's owner, Lisa Francis, was shocked her dog suffered so brutally.
"It was horrific," Francis said.
Francis described the 2-year-old dog as her "protector, best friend."
A makeshift memorial has been set up at the scene for the pet, which Francis said got out when her twins accidentally left a door open.
A San Diego County Animal Services representative said the department is still investigating the incident and will turn over the report to the district attorney's office Friday. Prosecutors will then decide whether to file charges of animal abuse.
Since no charges have been filed, the name of the person has not being released.
First Published: Mar 25, 2009 2:33 PM PST
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