Pomeranian killed in violent dog attack in Brooten (UPDATED)

The Bonanza Valley Voice learned this week that two dogs have died as a result of injuries they sustained in the city of Brooten this summer after being attacked by another dog. These events occurred on the south part of town. The dates and specific locations are still being verified, but as a public service, the newspaper wants to share information about what to do in the case of a dog attack.

This web article will be updated as additional details are verified.

Whether a person or a pet are attacked by a dog, these are the best steps to follow:

1. Seek medical attention for the person or dog that is attacked; dog bites often cause a serious risk for infection to their victims.

2. Identify the attacking dog: it is important that you or someone you trust can identify the dog that bit the person or pet so that the owner of the dog can be notified of the situation.

3. Take photos of the injuries: as soon as you or someone else is able to, take pictures of all visible wounds. It is best to include bruises, lacerations and scrapes to the fullest extent possible.

4. File a police report: it is important to get documentation of what happened, where and at what time.

Story update on July 1: a 7-pound Pomeranian dog was killed in a violent attack on Thursday, June 22 at approximately 7 a.m. on Pleasant Avenue in Brooten. According to its neighbors, the dog that killed the Pomeranian weighs between 50 and 75 pounds and is a German Shepherd and Pit Bull mix. That dog's owner discovered the dead Pomeranian in their yard and followed through on a decision to carry the dead Pomeranian's body into their house within minutes of the attack. It is unclear at this point why that individual brought the deceased dog into their house.

According to the Pomeranian's owners, once they began searching for their dog, the neighbor announced that their Pomeranian was dead and was inside their house. The Pomeranian was badly maimed, and its owners stated that "its guts were hanging out" as a result of the attack. One week later, the family continued to struggle with what happened as they carry tremendous grief due to the violent ending of their dog's life.

The Belgrade-Brooten police department was notified.

The Voice continues to seek information on this attack and the attack on the other dog which died earlier this summer after it was attacked by an unknown dog after sunset in the same neighborhood. That dog, which was also a very small dog, sustained severe head injuries and had bite marks above an ear on its skull and below that same ear on its neck.