The death of a dog Monday at Ocean Beach’s Dog Beach has the owner taking to social media, asking for help in finding the owner of the dog that killed her pup.
Regina Lovato and her boyfriend were at the popular site in Ocean Beach just after 2 p.m. with their two dogs.
Aria, her Maltese, was waiting about five feet away from the water when she was attacked by a larger dog.
Lovato said the dog appeared to look like a Labrador and may have been 50 pounds – much larger than Aria at 25 pounds.
“He just came out of nowhere from the left side and grabbed her by the back,” Lovato recalled in an interview with NBC 7. “He really latched on to her and the grip was only getting tighter.”
After what seemed like several minutes, and with the help of about five people, the dog finally released Aria.
Aria was bleeding and suffering from severe injuries to her torso. Lovato rushed the dog to a pet hospital but it was too late.
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“By the time we got her to the car, she was already dead,” Lovato said.
The little dog died by the time they reached the parking lot.
Unfortunately, the Lab’s owners left without giving Lovato their contact information.
Lovato reached out to San Diego Police and was told this is a civil matter, not a criminal one.
The San Diego County Department of Animal Services told her it’s not unusual to get a call once a week that is similar to her situation.
So without any other recourse, Lovato turned to social media to find the owners of the dog that killed her baby.
“Who just leaves after something like that happens?” she asked.
If you look at the conversation on the OB Community FB page, hundreds of people have something to say about it.
She’s had many people who are supportive of her efforts.
She said she just wants to talk with the dog’s owners so they can handle it themselves.
She also wants to raise awareness that dogs like the Lab that attacked Aria should not be on Dog Beach
While her family has arranged for Aria to be cremated, they are hoping to pay for a memorial site, a place Lovato can visit. They are hoping to create an online fundraising page to help pay for a final resting place for Aria.
If you have any information, you can contact Lovato through her online post or call the NBC 7 news desk at (619) 231-3939.
