Witnessing a horrific beating of a dog with a hammer was extremely traumatic for a North County man.
Lucy, a 2-year-old Weimaraner, had gotten out after Lisa Francis' twins accidentally left open a door. A short time later, the dog was hit by a car on Valley Center Road. Several motorists stopped, including a large man and woman who were traveling together and Valley Center resident Mike Goss.
Goss said on Thursday at his home that the guy was "huge," about 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 300 pounds, was very angry and described him as "a guy on a mission."
The guy came up and said, "I've seen things like this before," Goss said. "I know what to do," and then he ordered the three other people near Lucy to leave.
Goss said the man also told the woman who was with him, who may have been his wife, to get back to their truck. She refused, and the man ordered her to leave a second time.
Anna Herrera, who had offered to bring Lucy to a veterinarian's hospital, got up and left, crying and screaming. Goss said at that point that he was still kneeling by the dog and the guy again told him to leave.
"He was huge angry guy holding a hammer-like club, and I was not going to take him on," said Goss, who felt threatened by the man.
Several witnesses said the man struck the dog with the hammer but failed to kill it. He left the scene prior to the arrival of a sheriff's deputy, who put down the dog shortly after he arrived.
The man with the hammer has not been identified. County animal services is investigating the incident.
