A dog mauled a smaller canine to death before biting its owner in Staffordshire, England, on Wednesday night.

Staffordshire Police responded to Carlton Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EDT) after receiving several reports of a Staffordshire bull terrier attacking a shih tzu. Upon arrival, the officers discovered that the terrier had mauled the smaller dog to death. The canine had also attacked and bitten the shih tzu’s owner on the torso when he tried to save his pet.

“Officers were called to Carlton Avenue at 9p.m. Wednesday to reports of a dangerous dog which had bitten a man and another dog. The Staffordshire bull terrier attacked a cross shih Tzu and bit a man on the torso. Police found the dog and are now continuing with inquiries,” a Staffordshire Police spokesman said.

In a Twitter post, Staffs Specials, the volunteer officers, said a probe was on and the terrier and its owner were located.

"Last night the Burslem Specials assisted Staffs Dogs with a very unpleasant job where a large dog had attacked and killed a smaller breed dog. Whilst protecting his dog, the owner was also bitten. The offending dog and its owner were located and the incident will be fully investigated,” Staffs Specials tweeted.

The incident comes days after a dog leapt into a garden and mauled a chihuahua to death in Paulsgrove, England. The Chihuahua’s owners let the pet outside to go to toilet when they heard the canine “scream.” They rushed outside and found a husky holding their pet between its jaws. When the owners tried to fight off the dog, it ran away with the Chihuahua. CCTV footage showed the husky running on the street with the small dog in its mouth.

“It was like losing a family member – I had to witness something killing my dog. I don't sleep, I'm on tablets and I still cry thinking about it. I see it and it's drilled into my brain every night as soon as I close my eyes,” Jessica Dugan, the chihuahua’s owner had said.