Dog owners in New York City are horrified and on alert after a dog was stabbed and killed in Central Park following an argument between two canine owners.
The baffling incident occurred in the area around 106th Street and Fifth Avenue, a spot popular with dog walkers. NBC New York spoke to a man who said that he and his wife were walking their 13-year-old German shepherd-pit bull mix named Eli and their other dog, Sadie, on leashes in the area around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
The man, who only wished to be identified as Brian, said they walked by a man with three pit bulls, at least two of which were unleashed.
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"One of his dogs tried to bite my little dog and he tried to tell me that it's OK. And I tried to talk sense into him," Brian told News 4.
He and the man started to argue, as his dogs attacked Eli.
"I kicked one of the dogs off my dog at one point," Brian said. "But then he took out a knife and started carving. And my dog growled. He stuck him...and I was helpless at that time."
Brian said he took a photo of the man as he walked away (below). The couple then took their dog to the veterinarian, where Eli had to be put down.
"He's a great dog, you know. He's my boy," Brian said.
Several dog owners in the area said they'll now be even more cautious when walking their dogs at that location, and they're also asking for more protection. Many expressed hope that the man who stabbed Eli is soon caught.
No arrests have yet been made. An investigation was ongoing, according to police.
