HOBE SOUND, Fla. — A Hobe Sound community is demanding action after a 9-year-old Morkie named Lolly was mauled to death by an escaped pit mix at Zeus Park on Friday. The attack has left pet owners shaken and calling for stricter enforcement of leash laws in the area.
Madelynn Warren witnessed the deadly encounter while walking with her 3-month-old baby in a stroller. She called 911 after seeing the larger dog attack.
"The woman was saying, 'My dog is dead. My dog is dead,' screaming, crying. It was really, really sad," Warren said.
Warren described how the attack unfolded near her infant child.
"The larger dog came up and plucked their dog out of the stroller," Warren said. "My little 3-month-old was in a stroller right across the way."
The incident has highlighted ongoing safety concerns from neighbors who say loose dogs are a persistent problem in the area. Suzanne Briley has lived near the park for three decades. In September, she she says she and her dog, Batman, had their own encounter with unleashed dogs.
"They just came out of nowhere. You don't see them coming," Briley said. "I went in the house and just shook for about an hour."
Despite signs posted by the sheriff's office stating that leash laws are enforced, residents say the rules aren't being followed.
"The law is not enforced," Briley said.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek acknowledged the community's concerns but said his office has responded to nine calls in the area over the past year. In four of those cases, deputies found dogs off leash and issued warnings to owners.
"It's not a prolific problem in that area. If it is, I'm not aware of it," Budensiek said. "If you're out, you have to have your dog on a leash."
The pit mix that killed Lolly is now in quarantine. Budensiek explained the dog had escaped from a new foster home — "the dog broke out of the cage, broke out of the room, escaped from the house" — and says the dog had no previous incidents on record.
The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast will make a decision about the dog's future within the next 10 days "to ensure the utmost safety of our community."
The sheriff says even though nothing criminal happened, he still expects to issue a citation to the foster parent and is urging all pet owners to follow leash laws.
"This is such a tragic accident," Budensiek said.
For Lolly's companion, Recon, the 9-year-old dog is now riding alone for the first time in nine years after losing his best friend.
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