War Vet's Service Dog Dies After Being Viciously Beaten by Burglars Who Broke Into His Home
A Southern California couple is struggling to understand how someone could be so heartless after their dog was viciously beaten to death during a recent home burglary.
Last Wednesday, George and Peggy Lawson came home to find their Yorba Linda residence broken into, with the robbers getting away with cash and a gun, KTLA reported.
Though they were upset to see their place completely ransacked, things took a turn for the worst when they discovered the unimaginable: their beloved dog Fefe had also been violently beaten during the encounter.
“Why? Why couldn’t you have killed me and not my dog?” Peggy told KTLA. “She didn’t do anything. She was barking. She was only protecting her property. She was only nine pounds. She couldn’t have barked very loud.”
The 12-year-old poodle, who the Lawsons have had for years, was bleeding from the mouth and in desperate need of medical attention, the outlet said.
George, a World War II Navy veteran, and Peggy, a retired nurse, then rushed their pup to the vet where they learned of the brutality that Fefe had tragically suffered.
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“They told us that she had been pistol whipped. She had internal injuries,” George, 91, told KTLA of Fefe, who was also a trained hospital therapy dog. “And they’d hit her in the head and blinded her.”
“They said they could transfer her to trauma with no guarantee. They said one thing was for sure, that she would never be the dog we had that morning,” Peggy, 77, added.
In addition to those injuries, ABC7 reported that Fefe suffered four broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Because her injuries were so severe, the couple had to make the difficult decision to euthanize their beloved pet.
“Before they could say anything, I said I would not let her suffer one more minute. And so we put her down,” Peggy told KTLA.
The Lawsons have lost pets before, they said Fefe’s case was particularly heartbreaking — and they’d like for whoever this did to understand how much pain has been inflicted on their family.
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“They killed our dog, and they’re the lowest of the scum on earth,” Peggy said to KTLA.
“If they catch them, don’t let me near them,” Peggy added to ABC 7.
The Orange County Police Department is currently investigating the situation, according to ABC 7.
Anyone with information is asked to call (714) 647-7000.