bloodrayne
12-12-2004, 11:11 AM
Port St. Lucie Woman Strangles Neighbor's Rottweiler
Port St. Lucie -- Police are investigating a woman who strangled a neighbor's Rottweiler after it attacked her Yorkshire terrier.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the 130-pound Rottweiler, named Rox, bolted past owner Rebecca Hartley and grabbed Candy, a Yorkie owned by Robin Bush, in her mouth in the 2900 block of Southwest Ventura Street.
Bush said she was in the kitchen talking on the phone while her son, Jacob, 10, took Candy, who weighs about eight pounds, and her Chihuahua outside.
"I heard my son screaming and heard a cry from my Yorkie," she said. "It was a God-awful screech."
According to Hartley's statement to police, Bush threw a beer bottle at Rox and chased and kicked the dog. Bush's son then took the Yorkie inside.
"Bush then allegedly grabbed the Rottweiler's collar and began choking the animal, screaming she 'would have it killed,' " the report states. "Bush continued to choke the animal, then began slamming the dog's head against the side of her house."
Hartley, 20, said she was trying to calm 1-year-old Rox, but Bush twisted the dog's collar with one hand and had her other on Rox's snout, repeatedly striking the dog.
"I told her, 'You're killing my dog, you're killing my dog, someone please dial 911,'" Hartley said. "I could not get her to let go of the dog, and within two minutes or less Rox had suffocated."
Bush, who said she weighs about the same as Rox, said her actions were justified.
"The dog was as big as me, it seemed," Bush said. "I was afraid to let go of this dog because I thought it was going to hurt me. ... Nobody was helping me.
"I was trying to defend my animal, my child and myself," she said. "I didn't intentionally kill this dog."
Prosecutors are reviewing an animal cruelty warrant application to determine whether to issue a warrant for Bush's arrest, said Officer Robert Vega, police spokesman.
"There's always two sides to every story. The officer felt ... this should be written up and forwarded to the State Attorney's Office to make a final decision," Vega said.
Hartley said Rottweilers get a "bad rap" as being "ferocious," describing her dogs as "very friendly."
"You would think that out of instinct if someone were choking you, you would resist," said Hartley, a lifelong Port St. Lucie resident. "Rox did not resist at all, she just sat there calmly and felt the woman was playing with her."
Bush denied slamming the dog's head against the wall.
"I'm not a cruel person," Bush said, noting she tried to revive Rox. "I feel wholeheartedly my dog and myself were the victims."
Hartley said Bush had a "severe overreaction," and a witness told police Bush was "flipping out."
As for Candy, an animal control supervisor said the dog had three small marks on her belly that didn't puncture the skin. Bush said Candy is "traumatized" and "not moving well."
"You can't hardly pick her up; she just lets out a terrible cry," Bush said.
Eric Bush, 34, Robin's husband, said Candy was bitten more than once and will remain under a veterinarian's observation for possible internal injuries.
"They said it could be fatal," he said.
Hartley said the incident left her "kind of numb."
"On the one hand I want retribution, but you can't bring the dog back," she said.
Port St. Lucie -- Police are investigating a woman who strangled a neighbor's Rottweiler after it attacked her Yorkshire terrier.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the 130-pound Rottweiler, named Rox, bolted past owner Rebecca Hartley and grabbed Candy, a Yorkie owned by Robin Bush, in her mouth in the 2900 block of Southwest Ventura Street.
Bush said she was in the kitchen talking on the phone while her son, Jacob, 10, took Candy, who weighs about eight pounds, and her Chihuahua outside.
"I heard my son screaming and heard a cry from my Yorkie," she said. "It was a God-awful screech."
According to Hartley's statement to police, Bush threw a beer bottle at Rox and chased and kicked the dog. Bush's son then took the Yorkie inside.
"Bush then allegedly grabbed the Rottweiler's collar and began choking the animal, screaming she 'would have it killed,' " the report states. "Bush continued to choke the animal, then began slamming the dog's head against the side of her house."
Hartley, 20, said she was trying to calm 1-year-old Rox, but Bush twisted the dog's collar with one hand and had her other on Rox's snout, repeatedly striking the dog.
"I told her, 'You're killing my dog, you're killing my dog, someone please dial 911,'" Hartley said. "I could not get her to let go of the dog, and within two minutes or less Rox had suffocated."
Bush, who said she weighs about the same as Rox, said her actions were justified.
"The dog was as big as me, it seemed," Bush said. "I was afraid to let go of this dog because I thought it was going to hurt me. ... Nobody was helping me.
"I was trying to defend my animal, my child and myself," she said. "I didn't intentionally kill this dog."
Prosecutors are reviewing an animal cruelty warrant application to determine whether to issue a warrant for Bush's arrest, said Officer Robert Vega, police spokesman.
"There's always two sides to every story. The officer felt ... this should be written up and forwarded to the State Attorney's Office to make a final decision," Vega said.
Hartley said Rottweilers get a "bad rap" as being "ferocious," describing her dogs as "very friendly."
"You would think that out of instinct if someone were choking you, you would resist," said Hartley, a lifelong Port St. Lucie resident. "Rox did not resist at all, she just sat there calmly and felt the woman was playing with her."
Bush denied slamming the dog's head against the wall.
"I'm not a cruel person," Bush said, noting she tried to revive Rox. "I feel wholeheartedly my dog and myself were the victims."
Hartley said Bush had a "severe overreaction," and a witness told police Bush was "flipping out."
As for Candy, an animal control supervisor said the dog had three small marks on her belly that didn't puncture the skin. Bush said Candy is "traumatized" and "not moving well."
"You can't hardly pick her up; she just lets out a terrible cry," Bush said.
Eric Bush, 34, Robin's husband, said Candy was bitten more than once and will remain under a veterinarian's observation for possible internal injuries.
"They said it could be fatal," he said.
Hartley said the incident left her "kind of numb."
"On the one hand I want retribution, but you can't bring the dog back," she said.