A family dog walk turned into a nightmare when a stranger stabbed two dogs in a park in Pinjarra, south of Perth, on Friday, October 10. Marcus Norton was walking his Mastiff puppy, Chief, and an elderly Staffordshire terrier, Molly, when the tragedy occurred.
According to 9News, the two dogs approached a stranger and his dog, and were then stabbed. Mr Norton's daughter, Chevonne McNamara Norton, described the attack as gruesome. 'He cracked (Molly's) skull, he punctured her lung, he stabbed her so deep on the back,' she said.
The dogs were rushed to the Waroona Veterinary Clinic in Chelmford for treatment. However, veterinary surgeon Ashleigh Holgate found Molly's injuries too severe to save. 'Molly had some secondary issues due to her age, so it was decided it was better off for her to not go through the trauma of surgery,' Ms Holgate said.
Ms McNamara Norton tearfully said: 'My childhood pet that I grew up with is gone.' Mr Norton added that Molly was 'harmless' and that he was present to intervene if needed. 'It might have been daunting there. You've got two dogs coming your way and you panicked. (But) I was right there... I was talking to you. I was calling out to you, just hang on,' he said.
Chief, who was also injured, is recovering and his wounds are expected to heal over weeks. The family has incurred over $5,500 in veterinary costs. 'This has cost us more than $5,500 that we don't have, like, what the hell. He needs to answer for this,' Mr Norton said.
Western Australia Police have launched an investigation and allege the stranger's dog had bite marks. They believe the dogs were attacked with a multi-use tool.
