Puppy Mauled To Death By Large Dog In Front Of Owner At Park

In a devastating incident, a five-month-old pup was mauled to death by a large dog at a park in Australia.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, named Honey, suffered severe injuries in the attack, its owner, Ashleigh McDonald, told 7News on Tuesday. The puppy's chest was crushed and lungs were punctured. Even though the canine was rushed to an emergency vet clinic, it succumbed to injuries.

"Her lungs were punctured, and her chest was crushed, and she stopped breathing in the driveway when we got to the emergency (veterinary clinic)," Ashleigh said.

The puppy had been living with the family for a while and was being trained to work at an elderly care facility in the area.

Ashleigh's father, Michael McDonald, said Honey was practicing dog recall at the fenced off-leash area in Gold Coast when the incident happened. A person came with a large dog at the time, which made the puppy uncomfortable. Even though the stranger assured Ashleigh that the dog won't do anything, it attacked the puppy, causing extensive injuries to its body.

"The owners were saying that they were sure Honey was okay and not really injured, but she clearly was so Ashleigh called her mother and they went to the emergency vet but Honey died as they pulled into the driveway," the father added. "To go through that must've been very confronting."

"She would always give someone affection, and she brought a smile to everyone," Ashleigh said.

The identity of the other dog owner was not revealed. It is not known if they will face any charges. It was also not clear the large dog was of which breed.

In another incident, a 9-year-old dog died after a violent confrontation with a porcupine in Montague, New Jersey. The porcupine attacked the pitbull-mix, named Chester, in the owner's backyard on Sept. 2, leaving the canine with barbed quills on the face, mouth and chest. Chester also swallowed several quills during the encounter. While the owners took the dog to the hospital, veterinarians were unable to remove all the quills from its body.