What was meant to be a simple family dog walk in a park turned into a nightmare when two dogs were brutally attacked, leaving one so badly injured it had to be put down.
Marcus Norton was walking his Mastiff puppy, Chief, and the family’s elderly Staffordshire terrier, Molly, at a park in Pinjarra, south of Perth, on Friday, October 10, when tragedy struck. The two dogs approached a stranger and his dog—and both Molly and Chief were stabbed.
Recalling the horror, Marcus’s daughter, Chevonne McNamara Norton, shared: “He cracked Molly’s skull, punctured her lung, and stabbed her so deep in the back.” Despite rushing the dogs to Waroona Veterinary Clinic, vets determined Molly’s injuries were too severe to survive, particularly given her age. “It was decided she shouldn’t have to endure the trauma of surgery,” explained surgeon Ashleigh Holgate.
“My childhood pet that I grew up with is gone,” Chevonne tearfully added, mourning Molly’s loss.
Marcus described the incident, noting Molly had always been harmless and that he had tried to intervene. “It might have been daunting—two dogs coming your way—but I was right there, talking to him, calling out, asking him to hang on,” he said.
Chief, meanwhile, survived and is expected to recover fully over the coming weeks, though the family faces medical bills exceeding $5,500. “He needs to answer for this,” Marcus said in frustration.
Western Australia Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which they allege involved a multi-use tool. Authorities also noted that the stranger’s dog had bite marks, suggesting a violent confrontation.
