After a beloved Oakland dog Pepper died Saturday following an attack by two Cane Corsos, her family is seeking accountability as other East Bay dog owners share accounts of similar encounters with dogs and an owner matching their description.
Following Pepper’s death, her owner Tomiquia Moss began hearing from East Bay residents who said they had witnessed similar attacks or had dogs injured in encounters with two Cane Corsos and their owner, as ABC 7 reports. Moss is seeking accountability, while Oakland officials have declined to comment on the case because it remains under investigation.
Moss, who is California’s secretary of housing and homelessness, was walking Pepper at Lakeside Park near Fairyland in Oakland Friday morning when two large dogs reportedly jumped over nearby fencing and charged at them.
Moss told ABC 7 both dogs attacked Pepper, shaking her body as Moss struggled to intervene. The dogs’ owner was unable to control them, according to Moss. With help from a park worker, Pepper was taken to a veterinarian, then transferred to a specialty emergency hospital because her condition was critical.
Despite extensive treatment, including a blood transfusion, Pepper died Saturday morning.
“It feels like she was stolen from us,” Moss said, speaking to ABC 7.
After Pepper died, Moss and her daughter, Torii Lola, began asking for information online and received messages from people who described other encounters involving the same dogs.
“So many people reached out, not only stating that they've seen this incident happen before, but that their dogs got attacked,” Lola told ABC 7.
A flyer circulating among East Bay dog owners lists several alleged incidents in Oakland in addition to Pepper's October 24 attack, including a dog injured at Eastshore Park on October 20 and another possible fatal attack at Snow Park on October 13.
The flyer also describes an earlier mauling at Lakeside Park, which allegedly required two four-hour surgeries, along with a reported encounter at Joaquin Miller Park. It also includes encounters at the Berkeley Marina and in southwest Berkeley.
Social media posts, which have not been confirmed by authorities or independently verified, allege that the dogs have been allowed off leash and that their owner has struggled to control them.
Lola told ABC 7 the family hopes that sharing Pepper’s story will lead to accountability and prevent further attacks.
“The only way I could feel better about this is getting justice for Pepper,” she said.
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