A Bridgeport woman is asking the public for help after she watched an off-leash pit bull kill her six-year-old dog, Nipsey, inside her own locked yard on Laurel Court. Lily said the 40-pound dog never had a chance, and she rushed him to an emergency veterinary hospital, but his injuries were too severe for him to survive.
The attack happened on Oct. 22, according to News12, which reported that the pit bull appeared to be off-leash and was accompanied by an unidentified man at the time. Lily watched the attack unfold inside her own fenced-in yard, a detail that underscores how little warning she had before Nipsey was hurt.
Police Say They Need a Name First
Lily told the outlet that police informed her they could not investigate further until the dog's owner is identified. That leaves the case in limbo for now, with no confirmed timeline for when, or if, investigators will be able to move forward.
The man seen with the dog has been described only as walking a white dog with black spots, according to the same report. Anyone with information about the dog or its owner is being urged to call 959-248-1427.
A Pattern of Loose Dog Encounters in the City
This is not the first time a loose pit bull has made headlines in Bridgeport. A separate report from News12 Connecticut included video showing another woman's dog attacked by a loose pit bull in her neighborhood, though that incident is a separate case with its own circumstances.
Under Connecticut law, a dog's owner or keeper can be held liable for damage the animal causes. Connecticut General Statutes Section 22-357, as published by law.justia.com, defines property to include a companion animal and states that the owner, keeper, or both, shall be liable for the amount of such damage, which can include veterinary expenses, the animal's fair monetary value, and burial costs.
For Lily, though, the immediate need is simpler: a name. Until the dog's owner is identified, she said, there is little more that can be done to pursue the case, leaving her to rely on the public's memory of a man walking a white dog with black spots somewhere near Laurel Court.
