Atlanta police are on the lookout for a suspect who allegedly kicked an area woman’s dog, before threatening to harm her and “rip the dog’s head off.”
“I was shocked, and I was terrified, and felt so unsafe,” dog owner Amy Goggins told Fox5 reporters, adding that the incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14, in front of the Fox Theatre on Peachtree Street in midtown Atlanta.
Goggins said that as she and her pet were walking down the sidewalk, out of nowhere a stranger kicked her dog in the head.
“My reaction was to start screaming and crying and he started threatening us. He said he would hurt me, and next time he saw me, he would rip the dog’s head off,” the woman said.
Goggins insisted the attack was completely unprovoked.
“My dog and I were just walking and minding our own business and the dog was right in front of me. He wasn’t in this man’s path, or he wasn’t barking at him or anything,” she said.
The Atlanta woman called the police immediately after the alleged attack.
She said her 6-year-old Pomeranian mix was fortunate to suffer only minor bruises and avoided serious injury.
Goggins added the encounter has left her more anxious.
“It has caused me to be more vigilant of where I walk and who I pass,” Goggins said.
The incident has put other area dog walkers on alert.
“Getting hit or beat or taken advantage of by some random person is very concerning,” Jenae Register told Fox5 reporters.
Goggins has posted on social media about the frightening encounter and hopes spreading the word will keep people safer.
“Being more aware, having a better sense of awareness—just making sure you look around,” advised Register.
Goggins worries the man who allegedly kicked her dog may be suffering from mental health issues.
“I feel sorry for him to know what kind of state he might be in to do this kind of thing, and I do hope that we can find help for him,” she said.
The suspect remains at large.
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