York County Animal Control officers seized two 70-pound pit bulls roaming a neighborhood in Rock Hill on Wednesday after reports from neighbors that the dogs had attacked and killed another dog that afternoon.

The owners of the miniature Pinscher called “Diamond” say the pit bulls “viciously” attacked their dog, dragging “Diamond” off her leash and out of her collar, according to a Rock Hill police report.

Police found the miniature Pinscher dead with several bite marks at least two blocks away from her home. Part of the dog’s abdomen had been split open, according to the report.

The miniature Pinscher was chained on a front porch when the two pit bulls entered its owners’ yard, the report states. The pit bulls attacked “Diamond,” the owners told police, and dragged her down the street.

Animal control and police officers spent 15 minutes chasing the pit bulls around the neighborhood on Wednesday. The pit bulls had “blood around their mouths,” the report states.

The pit bull owner contacted police Thursday to ask about his dogs and he denied that his pit bulls could have attacked another animal, according to the report.

Police arrested the 51-year-old man, citing him with violation city regulations on restraining vicious pets and damage to property, the report states.

One of the miniature Pinscher’s owners said the family did not want to comment on the incident, but she said she didn’t have any animosity toward her neighbor, the pit bulls’ owner.

“Diamond” was 7 years old, she said, and the family had raised her since she was a puppy.

Anna Douglas 803-329-4068