(Telegraph.co.uk) 07/15/15 - A beloved pet dog has been pecked to death in a "horrific attack" by a ferocious seagull in Cornwall.
The eight-year-old Yorkshire terrier, called Roo, was attacked in the garden of his owner's home at St Columb Minor near Newquay.
The tiny dog received a wound to his head and brain damage during the attack by the Herring gulls, which swooped down from the roof and pecked at the tiny dog's head. They are believed to have been protecting their nest.
He was later put down after a vet decided he could not survive his wounds.
Roo's owner Emily Vincent now fears for the safety of her four children and her two other dogs, Maltese Terriers Millie and Louis.
Ms Vincent said: "Jace [my son] was with Roo in the garden and then all of a sudden Jace started screaming that Roo is bleeding.
"I ran into the kitchen and saw Roo lying on his side and there was blood everywhere. Roo had managed to run indoors and then collapsed. Blood was coming out of his head.
"It was like a murder scene. I couldn't get any sense out of Jace initially but then he kept saying the big bird has got sharp teeth.
"Roo was still breathing so we rushed him to the vets.
"He was initially stable but he was not responding to anything the vets tried because of the brain damage, so he had to be put down.
"When we got back from the vets I wanted to take it further.
"I took pictures of the blood and contacted the council to find out what rights I had about getting rid of the nest. I could not get a straight answer from anyone but I was eventually told the seagulls are protected and that I must leave the nest alone.
"Jace has been totally traumatised and randomly bursts out crying.
"I have not stopped crying and now I've reached the angry stage.
"It could have been my child that was hurt and there is nothing I can do about it.
"My other two dogs are too scared to go into the garden and Jace is not himself.
"There should be more done to protect people and their pets.
"Roo was like another child to me. The whole family is grieving. It has been horrific.
"We will now not let the children or the dogs out in the garden unless we are with them."
Devon and Cornwall Police have warned that Herring gulls are a protected species, which includes the birds, their nests, eggs and chicks.
It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird or intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, and intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
Wildlife Crimes Officer, PC Paul Freestone, said: "People need to be aware of the law. As soon as a gull lays down just a few bits of material to start a nest, that nest is protected."
It is the second time in weeks that gulls have killed pet dogs, with Nikki Wayne's Chihuahua Bella pecked to death in a garden in Honiton, Devon, in May. Full Story
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