SerpApi.Org
SEYMOUR — A little dog named Squiggy who was badly hurt in an attack likely related to a larger canine's loyalty to its stricken owner was recuperating at home Monday, Squiggy's owner said.
Donations that poured in after news of the attack was posted on social media have more than paid for Squiggy's veterinary care, Patricia Huesch, owner of the French bulldog/dachshund mix, said.
Huesch, 58, of Seymour, said she was walking the 24-pound dog early in the morning on July 16 on Wakely Street when she saw a dog that appeared to be a pit bull tied to a post and a man on the ground nearby. Seymour Police Chief John Bucherati said the 54-year-old man from Oxford had suffered a medical emergency and "suddenly passed away" while walking his dog.
"His dog remained at his side, and unfortunately another dog walker on the same path came by this, and their two dogs got into a fight," Bucherati said.
Huesch said a mail carrier had called police by the time she arrived on the scene, but before any officers arrived, the larger dog broke loose and attacked Squiggy. The three-year-old pooch suffered especially bad injuries to one of its front legs, which a veterinarian at VCA Shoreline Veterinary Hospital in Shelton initially said might need to be amputated, Huesch said.
Squiggy likely will keep his leg now, she said. His stitches are to come out on July 30.
Kristine Cormier, an animal advocate affiliated with Desmond's Army Animal Law Advocates, was among those who posted about the incident on Facebook and helped raise money for Squiggy's care. Cormier said the pit bull who attacked Squiggy had a reputation for being well-mannered. She said the dog was being cared for by the deceased owner's family.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, whose district includes Seymour, also posted a call for donations on Facebook. Klarides-Ditria called the incident "a heartbreaking, no-fault tragedy that could have touched any of us."
