Philadelphia police investigate after woman says unleashed pit bull killed her small dog in Mt. Airy

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Mount Airy woman is searching for answers after she says an unleashed pit bull charged her and killed her small dog.

Philadelphia police say the dog attack happened on June 28 just before 4 p.m. on Gorgas Lane near Stenton Avenue.

Charlene Oliver says she was walking her 4-pound Yorkie named Champagne when the larger dog attacked them.

"The leash burned. Was burning from me trying to pull her," Oliver recalled about the attack.

Oliver says the pain from the scars and bruises on her hands and arms pales in comparison to how it feels knowing her best friend is gone.

"I'm just trying to get it together because she was my baby. She was part of the family," she said of Champagne.

Oliver says the unleashed, tan pit bull attacked from behind.

"I didn't even see it coming, and it went straight for her neck," said Oliver.

After the dog killed Champagne, Oliver says it ran off with the body.

"The dog literally jumped up and grabbed her out of the air and continued to just bite," she said.

Sarah Barnett, the acting co-executive director of ACCT Philly, said, "The way to avoid this is just leash your dog."

Barnett says a Philadelphia ordinance requires pet owners to leash their dogs. Therefore, this owner was breaking the law by allowing their dog to roam the streets freely.

"At a bare minimum, you're creating issues with your neighbors because I guarantee they will call us. They will complain the dog is going to the bathroom on their lawn and not getting picked up," said Barnett.

It also could result in tragedies like this one.

Oliver hopes the dog's owner comes forward and returns the body of her pup.

"There are people who have dogs that don't really mind their dogs, so you have to just be careful with yours," she said.

Police are involved in the investigation.

ACCT Philly says it needs to know the identity of this dog before the city can label it as dangerous.