WHEATON, IL — A Wheaton family is in shock after a pit bull attacked and fatally injured its brand new puppy Monday. Amy Rontal was home with her 7- and 9-year-old daughters on Thanksgiving break when the incident took place and the family saw the attack firsthand.

According to NBC, Rontal and her daughters were heading home from taking their dog, Theo, to a local park to play when he was attacked. The Rontals told NBC that the pit bull darted towards Theo from its own yard and then attacked. Aaron Rontal, the father of the young girls who saw the attack, said his daughter told him that the pit bull was violently shaking Theo "like a chew toy."

Two of the family's neighbors, Teri Hutchison and Maria Kavadias witnessed the pit bull attack, NBC reports, adding that Kavadias ran to rescue Theo and was bitten by the pit bull. She was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. The neighbors say that the pit bull has attacked before.

Aaron Rontal told NBC that he confronted the owner is working with DuPage County Animal Control and the DuPage County Sheriff's Office to ensure that "the dog is never able to attack again." An unrelated pit bull attack landed a Woodridge woman in the hospital in October.

Pit bulls have long been the center of national controversy between activists that are either pro- or anti-pitbull. Many cities, states, and rental units prohibit pit bulls because the dogs are often associated with random attacks and fatal bites.

Patch reached out to DuPage County Tuesday to determine the block in which the pit bull attack took place and to see if the dog had been taken by animal control, but they did not immediately respond.