Veteran injured trying to save his dog from fatal attack in East Pittsburgh

A Pittsburgh-area Vietnam veteran who has a disability was hospitalized after trying to save his beloved dog from another dog that broke through a fence and killed it. 

"I have no regrets that I did what I did," 74-year-old George Becraft of East Pittsburgh said. "I had to do it because I wanted to save my animal. We've had him for eight years." 

Becraft is still emotional after a pit bull ripped through his fence and dragged his 24-pound dachshund mix Moe into his front yard and started attacking. Unable to move fast, Becraft fell face down but fought back, doing everything he could to try to save Moe. 

Police were nearby on another incident and heard Becraft screaming.

"Once I'm on the ground, that's it. I'm down and can't get back up. I rolled around there, I got over where the dog was again," Becraft said. "I'm trying in vain to get his jaws off my dog's face. And I stuck my hand even in his mouth to pry it open, anything I could do. I desperately wanted to save my dog." 

Becraft said one of the officers used his Taser on the attacking dog. 

"He shot the dog and it fell over," Becraft said. But it ran away. 

Moe died the next day.

"He was bleeding profusely from his mouth where the dog had clamped his face and also he did a lot of damage to his leg," Becraft said. 

Becraft spent two days in the hospital.

"I have lacerations on my finger, my hand, up here, right above here. My finger was torn, on a slant, like a shredded type of thing," he said. 

He also said he suffered injuries on his leg after falling down. 

Now all Becraft and his wife have are memories of Moe sitting between his feet or on his lap and taking car rides.

"He was our everything. All through that time, he kept us entertained and loved us and we loved him," Becraft said. 

Becraft is asking anyone with information about the dog that attacked Moe to come forward.

"A lot of people could end up suffering from this dog. It's very dangerous and I don't want to see anybody's kids or anybody's dog or anybody in general get harmed by this pit bull," Becraft said. 

The Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department is investigating and working with animal control and the state dog warden to find the pit bull's owner.