Shih tzu attacked by loose pitbull dog

A 75-year-old woman's pet shih tzu was attacked by a pitbull dog on Saturday, October 28, while she was walking near Cloverly Street and Frankson Avenue, in Rochester Hills.

The woman told sheriff's deputies she was walking along Cloverly toward Frankson when an unknown dog ran up and attacked her shih tzu. The woman said the dog, described as a white and tan pitbull, grabbed her dog by the neck and started shaking it.

The woman told deputies she hit the dog to stop the attack, at which point it jumped on her and knocked her down. She said the dog barked and growled at her, but didn't bite her. The woman said the pitbull attacked her dog a second time, forcing her again to strike it, at which point it knocked her down again.

Deputies made contact with the owner of the dog who said he always keeps it on a lead in the yard and wasn't sure how it got out. The deputy noted the fence in the owner's yard was broken and unable to contain the dog.

The owner was cited for having a dog at large and for dog bites. He was arrested on an unrelated warrant issued in connection with the Friend of the Court, and booked into the Oakland County Jail.