Pit bulls transferred to new location after mauling Chihuahua to death outside condo

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (WSVN) -- The owner of two pit bulls says he has transferred them to another location after they mauled a Chihuahua to death in a neighborhood that does not allow pit bulls.

According to a police report, the attack occurred last Sunday at Poinciana Place Condominium after Nicole Fontanella took her three and a half year-old Chihuahua Diesel for a walk outside her condo.

Fontanella says that a woman walking her friend's pit bulls across the street advised her to pick her dog up after one of her two pit bulls got loose. "She screamed from over there for me to pick my dog up," she said.

However, Fontanella said that when the pit bull tried to attack her, she let her dog go. "When the pit bull went to jump on me, I let go of my dog on instant reaction, and the pit bull got a hold of my dog's neck and started chewing him apart."

As the woman tried to pull the pit bull away, the other pit bull joined in the attack against the Chihuahua.

Coral Springs Police later responded to the incident and fined the owner of the pit bull $255 for the death of the Chihuahua and $55 for a leash violation.

But, Fontanella is not satisfied with that resolution. "It's one thing if your dog passes away, and it's been alive for years, but it's another thing to see it get killed right in front of your face and know that you can't do anything about it," she said. "I don't have my dog, and she gets to sleep every night with hers. I don't think it's fair. I want to see the dogs taken away and ultimately put down."

However, it is unlikely that the pit bulls will be taken away because according to Coral Springs police, there has to be a number of documented aggressive incidents involving one animal towards another before the aggressive animal could be put down.

Following the attack, Fontanella discovered that the pit bulls' owner lives in the same condo, but management at Poinciana Place said they did not know the pit bulls were there.

According to condo association rules, residents cannot own pit bulls. Residents also cannot have more than one pet, which cannot be heavier than 25 pounds.

The condo association previously said they would sue the owner of the pit bulls in order to ensure the immediate removal of the pets.

The owner of the pit bulls, who only wanted to identify himself as Rob, has since removed hers dogs and said they are not vicious. "My dogs have never attacked another dog before," he said.

The owner says he is muzzling his pit bulls when he walks them now, and he adds that they are no longer residing at the condominium property. 

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