Celina Cassa. Photo: Joe Mastroianni
A Werribee woman has been left traumatised after her beloved pet dog was killed by a trailbike hoon.
Celina Cassa arrived home from work one night late last month to discover her 15-year-old lhasa apso, Pepper, had been run over by someone speeding along a pedestrian track on a motorbike.
Her partner, Craig Warren, had let Pepper out for a quick walk on the grass by the Werribee River on Friday, July 25, while waiting for Ms Cassa to arrive.
It was then he heard the sound of a motorbike engine and witnessed it run over the family pet.
“You could tell that something had happened because the tune of the engine had changed and he [the rider] started circling Pepper,” Mr Warren said.
The couple took Pepper to a vet, but he had to be put down early the next morning because of his injuries.
Ms Cassa is still searching for answers and says she is living in fear.
“If he’d died of natural causes it would be sad, but it would be OK,” Ms Cassa said.
“What hurt me the most is what he went through, the pain. I don’t want anyone to go through that.”
Ms Cassa, who lives in Quinlan Court, just south of the Heaths Road Bridge, said neighbours had been complaining about motorbike riders for years.
“Pepper was wearing a high-visibility vest at the time, so they would have seen him,” she said. “They are so sick of them [the motorbike riders]. If you are walking by the river you can hear them coming and you have to dodge them.”
Leading Senior Constable Lee Thomson said police were aware of the motorbike hoon problem along Werribee River pedestrian trails.
Anyone with information about illegal motorbike hoons or the incident involving Pepper, is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
