Chihuahua killed in the street by dog - and owners are left with £8,500 vet bill

19 February 2024 , 20:02

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Chihuahua killed in the street by dog - and owners are left with £8,500 vet bill

A 'devastated' couple say they have been left with a £8,500 vet bill after their tiny chihuahua was savaged in the street by another dog.

Steve Riley-Hobbs was walking Kylie and his other pooch Dannii down the street when two greyhounds suddenly charged across the road towards him.

The horror attack that followed was captured on CCTV - with the brutal attack lasting for one minute and 33 seconds.

Steve, 55, is seen fending off the first greyhound wearing a red coat. As he holds Kylie and Dannii on the leads, he bravely manages to get his body in the way of them to block the bigger dog.

He gently kicks the greyhound away and the man with them pulls it away. But then the second one races over and starts to attack both chihuahuas.

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CCTV footage shows the moment the greyhound attacked Steve Riley-Hobbs' chihuahuas (Jam Press Vid)

White-haired Dannii manages to escape and runs away but poor Kylie, six, is horrifically mauled. Steve rushed her to the vets and was left with a £8,500 bill, but sadly she died the next day from her injuries.

Kylie had a blood transfusion after suffering crushed ribs, a punctured lung and multiple bite marks. He has reported the dog attack to police. The attack happened in Burbages Lane, Coventry on the neighbouring road to where Steve lives with husband Tony.

Steve, 55, can be seen fending off the greyhound wearing a red coat (Jam Press Vid)

Steve said: “Before I knew what was happening, one of the dogs had Kylie in its jaws and was shaking her violently like a rag doll. I grappled with it and managed to free Kylie, but I knew she was seriously injured.”

Kylie, six, died from her injuries the following day (Jam Press)

Steve added: “What really concerns me is there’s all this talk about XL Bullys being banned. But people don’t realise other breeds can also be dangerous. These dogs used to be racing dogs.

Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to get in touch (Jam Press Vid)

“As soon as they saw my two they ran across the road and became aggressive. Any little dog or even a small child is at risk of being attacked or even killed unless dogs are kept on leads and muzzled.”

Steve said that while his family had been saving up for a holiday, they have now spent the money "trying to save Kylie". The attack happened on January 9 but Steve has only just found the CCTV footage.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “We were called after a dog was injured by another dog on Burbages Lane, Coventry, on the morning of 9 January. We have received CCTV footage and are carrying out enquiries. Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch, quoting 20/128697/24.”

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas