Diesel was one week short of celebrating his sixth birthday when the Shetland sheepdog was brutally stabbed in the jaw allegedly by an irate neighbour.

The dog’s family is devastated by his death that allegedly came at the hands of a man they say they’ve never met before.

“My mom was standing across the street and talking to some neighbours and some guy came out with a wooden dowel and five-inch spike and stabbed my dog in the jaw,” said Harmony, who didn’t wish to give her last name.

Neighbours in the 19th and Bayview Aves. area are shocked after the brown and white sheltie was stabbed to death with a shiv-on-a-stick last Friday.

Harmony, 24, said her mother Molly was walking Diesel around 5:40 p.m. on their street — Pine Bough Manor — when a man allegedly approached her and stabbed the animal.

“My mom tried to get him back over here and get some water for him by the hose and he keeled over and stopped,” Harmony said, recounting what her mom told her immediately following the incident. “He was yelling at mom about why she had the dog outside. He kept yelling at her after he already stabbed him. We’ve lived here for 21 years and we’ve never seen him before.”

The dog was known chase cars and to bark at people, but was doing neither immediately prior to the spearing, she said.

Harmony described Diesel as being very full of life.

“He was extremely loyal and got our family through some very hard times...and he was always there for us,” she said. “Then, he was lifeless and covered in blood.”

Neighbours who heard the screams on the street Friday rushed out to help.

“Everyone was in tears,” neighbour Cameron Parrot said. “This is a dog community. (The man) was yelling because Diesel was barking. Diesel was a barker, but was never aggressive towards anyone.”

A 68-year-old Richmond Hill man was arrested around 10:45 p.m. Friday, York Regional Police Const. Blair McQuillan said.

He is charged with injuring and endangering an animal and has been released from custody. He is scheduled to appear in Newmarket court on May 25.

Police are not releasing the suspect’s name.

Parrot said the alleged dog-killer lives in a basement apartment down the street. He has spoken with the man previously and said he’s never shown aggression towards animals.

Another neighbour, Michelle, said she feels uneasy living down the road from someone who would do something like this.

“I don’t think he should be let out,” said the 28-year-old. “For someone to go up to an innocent, sweet animal...what else is he capable of?”

Harmony declined to send a message to her dog’s slayer.

“I can’t say it, it has swear words in it,” she said.