Shih Tzu Owner Issues Plea After Off-Leash Pit Bull Attacked Her Pet

A shih tzu named Hammie "got lucky" after being attacked by a larger dog while on a walk, leaving him with life-threatening kidney damage.

In a video posted to TikTok by @theteddybeardog, which has over 1.1 million views at the time of writing, Hammie's owner explains that her dog was allegedly attacked by "an off-leash pit bull while on a walk."

"It bit him 10 times for no reason," Hammie's owner wrote. "He suffered kidney damage. We were so scared we might lose him, but he persevered. And what was the worst day of my our life, became the day we got more time with him. He made it. Leash. Your. Damn. Dogs."

The video, set to Christina Perri's cover of "You Are My Sunshine," included photos of the pup wearing a recovery cone, the pills that Hammie was required to take after the attack, and a bloody blanket in what appeared to be a veterinarian's office, as well as happier images after his recuperation.

Pit bulls remain a controversial breed in the United States and are responsible for many dog-on-dog and dog-on-human attacks across the country, according to the website DogsBite.org, which describes itself as "a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks."

"In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths," data from the site says. Pit bull terriers are banned in some countries, including the United Kingdom.

The site asserts that while bad ownership can impact a dog's probability of attacking a human or dog, it's "their genetic traits that define the breed," as they were originally bred to bait bulls, bears and other large animals in the name of sport in the 1800s.

Others argue that nurture is more important than nature. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) points out that although some pit bulls were bred for fighting, "Dogs used for fighting needed to be routinely handled by people; therefore aggression toward people was not tolerated. Any dog that behaved aggressively toward a person was culled, or killed, to avoid passing on such an undesirable trait."

In a position statement on pit bulls on their website the ASPCA says: "While a dog's genetics may predispose it to behave in certain ways, genetics do not exist in a vacuum. Rather, behavior develops through a complex interaction between environment and genetics."

"All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together."

TikTok users were shocked by the video.

"My 5 pound Doxie was inside a locked screen door. A pitbull got out of a neighbor's door and went right through our screen. After surgery he's ok," shared one user.

"So glad he is ok. I know the emotional trauma will never go away. My dog was attacked years ago too by an off leash dog," one person commented.

"Why am I crying?!! I'm so glad your fur baby recovered, what an angel," another TikToker wrote.

Newsweek reached out to @theteddybeardog via email for comment.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.