VIRGINIA BEACH — Chris Kay admits he learned a hard lesson Wednesday.
At about 5 p.m. Kay was walking with Bella, his rescued therapy dog of the past two-and-a-half years, on the beach at 48th Street, something they both enjoy as often as possible.
As they walked they approached another dog owner and his two large dogs, both of which appeared to be of an American bulldog mix.
Both of the dogs looked to weigh in excess of 100 pounds, Kay said, and neither was on a leash, usually a sign that the dog is properly socialized and not dangerous.
“They met, their tails were wagging, and they played for a bit,” Kay said.
Then the play got rougher before erupting into violence.
“All of a sudden one pounced, then the other did. He (the owner) jumped on one and I jumped on the other.”
Kay said the owner was screaming at his dogs but to no avail. Kay said he was trying to pry the dog’s jaw off of the overmatched Bella — a Shar-Pei mix weighing in at just 54 pounds — also to no avail.
He punched and he pulled at Bella’s attackers until his hands were bloody. Finally the dogs released their hold (Kay thinks to get a better grip on Bella) allowing her to flee.
One gave chase until Bella ran up 48th Street and into heavy traffic on Pacific Avenue.
“I jumped in my truck and went after her, horn blowing, until I finally caught up with her. She jumped in the truck and was bleeding everywhere,” he said.
After retrieving Bella Kay returned to the scene of the incident. He said it appeared the other dog owner was hurrying away and was already several blocks south.
“He didn’t even have a leash on him,” Kay said.
Both Kay and Bella needed medical attention, so the pair headed to Bay Beach Veterinary Hospital, where Bella received more than 37 stitches and spent the night. She is now recovering at home.
Unknown owner
“I’ve been a daily beach-goer for 10 years and I’ve never come close to anything like this,” Kay said. “It’s a hard lesson learned.”
Kay described the dogs that attacked Bella as “just a year or 2 old, grayish, and brownish” and nearly identical. One may have been named “Lulu” or “Lucy.” He doesn’t blame the dogs though, he blames the owner, who he described as a “young man, probably in his late 20s (or early) 30s, heavy set, 5’11” (with) dark bowl cut hair.”
Another post from a Facebook user describes two similar dogs “cornering” her in the water around 50th Street on Tuesday.
Kay reported the incident to Animal Control.
An Animal Control official could not be immediately reached for comment.
Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 6.5 (b) of the Virginia Beach Municipal Code reads: It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog present on any sand beach to fail to maintain control of the dog.
The entire section can be found online.
