Loose dog attacks girl, kills puppy

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A parent says that a loose dog living on school grounds at a Pensacola middle school threatened her daughter and killed the girl's puppy.

Escambia County's deputy school superintendent told FOX10 News Tuesday that an employee lives on the grounds of Bellview Middle School for security purposes and has for years. The employee is allowed to own two dogs as long as they are restrained.

Valada Stromas, whose daughter attends the school, said the employee actually keeps three dogs, one of which is a pit bull that runs loose at times. Her backyard borders the school, which her daughter and other kids walk to by cutting through their fence opening.

"I was in my shower, and I heard my daughter screaming ... I didn't know what was going on, so I looked out the window and I saw him standing there again not doing anything. My daughter was being attacked and my dog was being attacked," said Stromas.

Stromas' 6-week-old, three-pound Pomeranian, Pepito, was in the jaws of the pit bull. Lying on the ground was her 12-year-old daughter, squeezing a taser so hard the batteries had died.

Stromas fought her way in between the dog and her daughter, but it was Stromas' boyfriend who awoke, ran outside with his gun and fired three shots in the air that caused the pit bull to retreat. Pepito was dead.

"Oh, God, I get motional when I talk about it, but I miss my puppy. He was a good dog. And I think if he wasn't out there that day, the dog would have gotten my daughter. I think he was protecting her because he was very protective," said Stromas.

Law enforcement was called, a report was made taken, and just Tuesday two dogs were taken away.

The seventh grader is still traumatized by the incident.

"She has to walk through the school [field] to get to school, and you know, when you walk through that fence, everything is replaying over in her head, and she gets upset about it," said Stromas.

Today's news that two dogs have been picked up offered Stromas some relief. Escambia County Animal Control continues to investigate.