Help Our Family Heal After Lucian's Tragic Loss

On June 23, 2025, our family’s 4-month-old emotional support puppy, Lucian, was violently attacked by a neighbor’s dog. He was pulled under a broken section of the neighbor’s wooden fence and mauled to death. My husband tried to save him, pulling Lucian from the dog’s mouth , but it was too late. He died in his arms.

Our children heard the screams. One of them watched it happen.

Lucian was not just “a pet.” He was part of our family’s emotional care system — a comforting, stabilizing presence in our daily lives, especially for our children.

We’ve tried to do the right thing. We wrote to the neighbor. We filed complaints. We consulted with attorneys. But Georgia law currently considers pets “personal property,” and the neighbor’s home insurance has denied any responsibility. The HOA has stayed silent, despite the unsafe condition of the fence.

We are at a complete loss and feel like we failed in achieving justice for Lucian. The dog is still dangerous and a threat, as animal control decided to put no restrictions on the dog and he still roams freely near our fence. Our other dog doesn’t even want to go outside anymore. Neither do our children.

We are now trying to:

• Cover costs related to Lucian’s loss

• Support our children’s emotional healing (including therapy)

• Seek accountability through code enforcement or civil process

• Eventually provide another support animal to help our family heal

And most importantly provide a safe environment by having landscaping installed against the fence to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

Some states are starting to recognize what we already know, that animals like Lucian are family. In 2023, a New York judge ruled that dogs should not be treated as simple property in court, but as family members, stating:

“A pet is not a simple possession. It occupies a special place somewhere in between a person and a piece of property.”

https://www.kinship.com/news/new-york-judge-ruling-dogs-are-family

We believe this too. And we hope our story brings light, compassion, and change. If any animal rights activist or attorneys are willing to help please contact me directly.

Thank you for honoring Lucian and supporting our family during this time.

With love and gratitude,

— April and Ben

Even just sharing this means the world to us.

• #PetLossSupport

• #ESAHealing

• #DogsAreFamily

• #HeWasntJustADog

• #GrievingWithPets

• #MyDogMyFamily

• #PetGriefAwareness

• #SupportAnimalGoneTooSoon

#miniatureschnauzer