A senior Livonia dog is recovering from catastrophic facial injuries after what appears to have been an attack in her own yard. Now neighbors, mail carriers and animal-control officers are watching for the large black-and-white dog seen dragging a woman across Hubbard Street.
Lucy, a senior chihuahua mix, was found covered in blood and unable to walk after her family let her and her littermate, Yuki, outside during an ordinary morning, according to ClickOnDetroit. Yuki’s howling alerted the family that something was wrong.
Lucy suffered a crushed and broken snout, lost all of her front teeth, lost vision in one eye and developed a collapsed nasal cavity that required tubes to help her breathe. She spent four days at an emergency veterinary hospital and underwent multiple surgeries, leaving the family with roughly $15,000 in veterinary bills.
Surveillance Points To A Dog But Not The Attack
The family reviewed home surveillance footage after initially being unable to determine what happened. The attack itself was not captured, but the video shows a woman being pulled across Hubbard Street by a large black-and-white dog.
Lee’s family has contacted Livonia police, and neighbors, mail carriers and animal-control officers are keeping an eye out for the dog. Jamie Lee said she wants accountability but is still willing to give the other dog’s owner some grace, urging the woman seen in the video to come forward.
The City of Livonia says its Animal Control Office responds to complaints involving animals at large, investigates abuse and neglect, and handles animal bites involving domestic and wild animals. The department lists animal concerns as a public-safety matter and directs residents to report them to Animal Control or police.
Livonia Rules Could Shape The Follow-Up
Livonia’s vicious-animal ordinance defines a vicious animal to include one that attacks or bites a domestic animal without provocation. The ordinance also allows a court process when an animal is accused of causing serious injury or death, although there is no public indication that officials have made such a designation in Lucy’s case.
For now, the unanswered question is whether the woman with the dog will identify herself and help investigators determine how Lucy ended up so badly hurt. Lee says her family is looking for answers as Lucy continues what could be a long recovery.
