DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A Dayton woman is receiving an outpouring of community support after her puppy was fatally attacked while she was out of town.
Maitlan Sullivan was attending a wedding in Kansas City last Saturday when she learned that her pup Perry had been killed by her neighbor’s dogs while playing in the fenced-in yard.
Maitlan left Perry in the care of her dogsitter who she trusted, but one of the neighbors’ dogs allegedly grabbed Perry by the paw and pulled her through a small gap between the wooden fence.
Now, the community has raised over $5,000 through a GoFundMe fundraiser to help her pay for expenses tied to the tragic incident.
“I’m not looking for donations at all, genuinely,” Maitlan said. “I just want people to know how amazing my dog is and was and hopefully squeeze their own pets a little tighter.”
“I want to communicate how touched Maitlan is by all of this. She’s in disbelief,” Madison Mize, Maitlan’s sister, shared online. Madison created the fundraiser Sunday after the attack, without her sister knowing until later on.
“Perry was Maitlan’s best friend. A COVID-19 pup, a rescue, and the definition of a therapy dog. This sweet girl loved Maitlan more than anything in this world—and the inverse is true as well. Neither of them deserved to have this happen. No one deserves an unwarranted and violent loss without the luxury of being able to say goodbye.”
Maitlan, 29, had just moved into a house with a yard for Perry in December 2022.
The public’s donations are helping to pay for veterinary bills, emergency travel and begin to fund the expenses Maitlan will face as she decides next steps and future moving.
