PEABODY, Mass. - Police say they have located the woman who was seen on surveillance video leaving the scene of a "gruesome" dog attack in Peabody.
The owners of the little dog, a Shih Tzu named Marcus, said they thought he was protected behind the fence on their property on Pierpont Street.
Now, they're forced to remember a vicious attack on their pet after two large dogs on a leash were left unattended by a woman caught walking away from the scene on surveillance footage.
Early Tuesday morning, Peabody Police confirmed officers have now located and spoken with the owner of the two larger dogs. Police said the woman admitted knowing at least one of her dogs attacked Marcus and "cooperated fully."
Peabody said the investigation is ongoing as the animal control officer, Lilly Pinto, reviews "the previous demeanor history, vaccination and registration status of the dogs involved," according to a news release.
"It sickens me," the dog's owner Jason Simmonds said. "It was pretty gruesome, and she saw exactly what happened. It's not like she didn't know."
Simmonds made the revelation after running down the street to confront the woman, all while holding his injured pet.
"She walked over and saw him and was like, 'Oh my god,'" Simmonds said. "I was like 'I need to take him to the vet, can you please leave me with your information?'"
Simmonds said the woman claimed to be a dog walker, and passed off the animals as belonging to one of Simmonds' neighbors.
Simmonds met his wife Mishelle at the veterinary hospital, where it was determined one of the dog's eyes needed to be removed.
"Now he's left with one eye," Mishelle Simmonds said. "Every time I look at him, I hurt because it's not fair. We're hurting. I don't sleep, I get up. I've been up since 2:30 thinking about ways I can find this person to hold them accountable."
The neighbor next door with home surveillance camera footage is also looking for answers as she looks to help police with their search.
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"She told them it was our dogs and she was our dog walker," Megan Silva said. "I made this a personal goal to find this woman and make sure justice was served."
Now, the Simmonds family is hoping for a resolution after a horrible incident.
"All I ask is turn yourself in," Simmonds said. "If you didn’t have the money, you could’ve reached out to me and said I’m sorry. A little bit of sorry would’ve got a long way."
Peabody Police said the animal control officer will review the case now that the owner of the dogs has been identified. No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed,
Cox Media Group
