Chuck Williams: When walking the dog turns deadly

You should have known Marina Sophia.

She was about 18 pounds, soft black fur.

She was shy, sweet and reserved. Absolutely beautiful in so many ways.

You see, Marina as her owners called her was a Spanish Water Dog, not a breed you see a lot in these parts. So she stood out in the best possible way. She was just a pup, and at about five months old she was coming out of her shell and interested in the world around her.

Sunday night in a quiet north Columbus subdivision, Marina was killed in a savage attack by a neighboring dog believed to be a pit bull or pit bull mix.

Marina’s owners, Royce and Tamara Ard, are devastated. So is Marina’s trainer, Carolyn Weinbaum at Developing Canine in Columbus.

And why wouldn’t they be? They all saw the promise and companionship Marina offered. What a senseless and tragic end to what was going to be a long relationship as the Ards transitioned from empty nest to retirement.

Late last year, Buttercup, a Brittany breed the Ards owned for 12 years, died of cancer.

They had been thinking long and hard about the dog that would fill the void left by Buttercup.

“We really were looking long term and wanted a dog that could sail off to retirement with us,” Royce said Monday, still trying to make sense out of Marina’s death.

That led them to Green Bay, Wisc., where they found Marina, a dog that would be comfortable at the beach, around people and fit their active lifestyle.

Right before Thanksgiving, Marina was flown in from Green Bay to Atlanta.

The Ards immediately began to weave the awkward pup into their lives. They own maid and handyman businesses, which allowed them the flexibility to take Marina to work.

“We took her to the office, downtown to parades, had her around kids,” Royce said. “We really tried to socialize her.”

If they were eating at a sidewalk restaurant downtown, Marina was on her leash at their feet under the table.

“She was an intelligent dog and was doing well in training,” Weinbaum said. “And they were very responsible people who were doing the right things with their dog.”

She wouldn’t hurt a flea.

“She was what I would call sturdy, but small,” Weinbaum said.

Recently, the Ards began taking Marina to the city dog park on South Lumpkin Road.

“We would always keep her in the small dog area, but every time we were down there we would see a pit bull on the other side,” Royce said.

Sunday evening Royce took Marina for a walk in the Timber Creek subdivision. Just a couple of blocks from his home, a dog came out of a yard and approached Marina.

“The dog didn’t have a tag, but it had a collar,” Royce said.

He was cautious, but Royce said the initial approach didn’t cause great alarm.

“I am a dog person,” Royce said. “It was just the normal sniffing. The dog was wagging its tail, but everything seemed to be OK.”

Boom.

“The dog just started attacking,” Royce said. “There was no gnarling. He just started chewing.”

Though he could see his house, Royce and Marina were alone. No neighbors saw what was happening for about 20 minutes. He called 911, but it took time for a response.

“I probably yelled for help a hundred times,” he said.

Royce’s hand was bloody from the death grip he had on the leash trying to free Marina from the predator’s grip.

“It was like he was trying to tear apart a toy,” Royce said.

Royce did everything he could.

“I can’t tell you how many times I kicked that dog,” Royce said. “ The attack lasted well over 20 minutes and despite a huge-size advantage and kicking the dog repeatedly, I could not stop it.”

Nothing would stop the attack until a neighbor showed up, got between the attacker and Marina.

It was too late.

They rushed Marina to the vet, where she died.

Royce learned something the hard way Sunday night.

“Without help another person or weapon of some sort you are not going to stop a pit bull when they are determined to kill,” he said.

Marina Sophia found that out the hard way.

This story was originally published February 16, 2015 at 4:37 PM.