Cherished pet mauled to death by wild dogs

A puppy has been mauled to death in Exmouth by a pack of wild dogs, leaving its owner grief-stricken.

Micki the Maltese-Jack Russell cross had turned one just days before the traumatic incident occurred near Gulf Beach.

Exmouth resident Asha Haegel said she was on the beach with her partner when Micki was attacked by three wild dogs.

“We go there most days and Micki would have been five or 10 metres behind us and we just heard his little yelp and we turned around and there was three of them basically pulling him like he was a piece of rope,” she said.

“We got up and charged them and we were screaming, we just couldn’t get to him quick enough. And when they saw us they actually didn’t run off or anything, so we were both getting ready to have to fight them.

“It was only when they saw our other dog that they started to scamper off.”

Miss Haegel said she rushed Micki to the vet, however he did not survive despite vets doing all they could to save him. “It was just horrible. He was my whole world. I have never known love like that boy,” she said.

“He was my little baby and it’s going to take a really long time to come back from this. It has absolutely broken me.”

Miss Haegel was also attacked during the incident and had her lip ripped open.

“I had to get five stitches in my face but when it’s your baby that’s life is at risk, it doesn’t even matter,” she said.

“You don’t even feel the pain, like I had no concept of pain or anything it was just straight to the vets to help him.”

Miss Haegel said wild dogs had been an issue in Exmouth for some time and has called on the Shire to take action.

“The only solution that there would be is to shoot them, that would be much more humane or alternatively they could relocate them, that would be ideal,” she said.

“But it’s water off the duck’s back to them, they’ve had many, many complaints.

“It could have very, very easily have been someone’s child.”

The Shire of Exmouth declined to comment to Pilbara News.

Wild dogs have also been a problem within the Shire of Ashburton which reminded the public to stay vigilant, report all sightings, refrain from approaching the wild dogs and use allocated dog exercise areas.

Miss Haegel said she had been the target of trolls since the attack who said it was her fault for having her dog in a public space.