Soldier’s rescue dog recovering after ‘vicious’ attack

YELM, Wash. — “Very timid and quiet – gentle, just the sweetest thing,” says Tamara Longcor, a soldier at JBLM, describing her beloved dog, Layla.

Layla was rescued as a pup off the streets in Qatar earlier this year. Now, she’s fighting for her life after being viciously attacked by neighboring dogs in Yelm on Tuesday.

“They either dug under the fence or broken the fence and got into my yard and attacked her in her yard,” said Longcor, who was not home at the time of the attack.

Other neighbors threw rocks and bricks and shot video as three huskies repeatedly bit and gnawed at Layla.

“I go out there and the neighbor that was throwing the bricks was, like, ‘They killed the dog, they killed the dog,’” said Merry Sherwood, a neighbor.

Sherwood says police showed up and thought Layla was dead.

Then she went over to check on the dog.

“I could see her chest deflating. She was obviously breathing – she was laying there lifeless but she was breathing,” said Sherwood.

Neighbors wrapped up Layla in a blanket and took her to the vet, where Longcor arrived a little later.

“It’s devastating. I feel so guilty. Because I brought her from the Middle East to give her a better life and she’s my responsibility,” said Longcor.

Covered in bite marks, Layla was treated for kidney failure and pneumonia and had to go on oxygen.

Neighbors set up a GoFundMe account to help with her recovery.

Longcor says Layla is showing signs of improvement and hopefully, the family will be able to take her home in the next few days.

“I’m sure she won’t be comfortable trying to step into that yard again,” said Longcor, adding she will look for a new home.

According to Sherwood, she was told that Thurston County Animal Services seized two of the dogs that attacked Layla.

KIRO 7 went to get a comment from the dogs’ owners, but they were not home.

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