According to the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune,  a 10 pound Shih Tzu named Moby was killed on 2/18/10  by a 110 pound Mastiff or Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lucius  at the new Curtis Hixon Dog Run in Tampa.

“Her husband, Michael Pack, took the dog there and was preparing to leave when a dog walker came in with the ridgeback, named Lucius, and another large dog. Tampa police reports say Lucius sniffed Moby as he entered the dog park, returned to sniff him once more, then seized the 10-pound dog by the neck.”

This is a small Dog Park, actually classified as a Dog Run, with no separation between large and small dogs.   I think it best that there always have separation between large and small dogs.  Some small dogs look and act like prey.  Big dogs can step on or knock over small dogs.

Although details are hazy, it appears to me that the incident occurred near the entrance of the dog park. I feel that entrances to Dog Parks are the most dangerous places in the park.  It is an area of tension.  Dogs that are excited or anxious are coming in.  It can be a tight area and often there are other dogs at the entrance, raising anxiety.  Dogs are coming off or going on leashes.   It is a place I am always more careful with my dogs.  It is also a place people should not hang around with their fogs.  Dogs need to come in and out of the entrance area without incident.

It also does not appear the person who brought  Lucius to the dog park did anything to help. ”Pack tried to free his pet — grabbing Lucius by the mouth.  He told police the big dog bit him on the hand and then bit 8-year-old Moby again. Pack jumped on Lucius who dragged him 5 feet before getting loose and biting Pack on the leg.”  I often see two kinds of people at dogs parks.  Those who pay close attention to their dog and their dogs behavior, who intervene when something happens; and those who just stand around like  bump on the log unwilling or unable to do anything.  This second group of people help make a dog park a dangerous place.

Other dog parks across the country had deaths due to dog on dog attacks.

November 2009 – Buffalo, New York - Dog’s Death At Dog Park Serves As Warning “Miles, an eight-month-old Yorkie  . . . Hall made a decision she will always regret. She let her five-pound pooch make his first visit to a separate running area that generally accommodates larger dogs. Until Sunday, Miles had always frolicked in an adjacent area reserved for dogs that weigh less than 30 pounds. On this evening, the special area was empty, and she wanted Miles to have company.  “Miles wasn’t afraid of big dogs,” said Hall, her voice shaking. “He loved to play with the bigger dogs.” The Yorkie was playing with several other dogs, none of them very large or aggressive, according to Hall. She said what happened next is a blur, but she recalls Miles being stepped on and instantly falling to the ground. At first, she thought he just had the wind knocked out of him or — in a worst-case scenario — was paralyzed. But after she and another Barkyard patron rushed the dog to an emergency clinic, reality set in. Miles’ tiny neck had likely been crushed as the dogs played, she said.

Problem: “People need to see my dumb mistake,” the distraught owner said. “They need to understand that when their dogs are playing, they have to consider the size of other dogs. I knew it, but I never recognized the importance of that until now.”

June 2008 – Stow, Ohio – Puppy dies from reported dog attack at Bow Wow Beach “A 4 1/2 month-old Maltese/poodle mix was killed June 7 after being attacked by a standard poodle . . . Gsellman claims a standard poodle charged her from behind while she was holding her dog, Sophie, knocking the puppy out of her hands.  She claims the standard poodle bit Sophie on the neck . . . ”

Problem: “Gsellman said she was making her way to the small-dog area of the park during the incident, explaining that section of the facility cannot be accessed without first going through the large-dog section.”

Solution: Stow Parks and Recreation Director Nick Wren said the parks department plans to install a separate entrance into the small-dog area that “would be adjacent to the small-dog area.”

Also perhaps the victim dog was too young to be in the park.  Tampa’s rules prohibit dogs younger than 6 months  (Hillsborough County is 4 months.)

April 2008 -Hillsboro, Oregon -Police will look into dog’s death at park

“Allie, a landscape contractor who lives in the West Union area outside Hillsboro, said she was at Hondo Dog Park about 1:30 p.m. Friday with her 6-pound Pomeranian, Clyde, and her 55-pound Samoyed puppy, Oona. The four-acre park has a separate fenced area for small and timid dogs, but Allie said she brought her dogs into the general-use area, where she’d never seen problems before. Allie said Clyde was yappy but friendly and didn’t have a history of fights. Clyde was standing alone, Allie said, when she saw him react nervously to a large black dog. Some bystanders described it as a Rottweiler, Allie said, although she doubts it was. Before Allie could pick up Clyde, the other dog clamped its jaws around Clyde’s body and shook him, Allie said. ”After I started screaming, everybody came and helped get my dog out of that dog’s jaws,” Allie said.

Problem and solution according to the Parks Dept. “She emphasized that owners are required to take responsibility for their dogs and leave if they become aggressive, as stated in rules posted at the park. ”We hope that people will be even more vigilant in watching over their dogs,” she said.”

Other stories:
Dog Park violence on the rise

Pet death shows dog park danger

Tiny Dog Killed By Larger Animal At Dog Park