The Alice the Jack Russell terrier has been the companion of Seattle resident John Hickey for nearly 14 years. But after Saturday, Hickey had no one left.
kiss on the neck told Q13 News that a man ran into him and his dog while walking, asking him to give the man his coat. When Hickey threatened the man with pepper spray, the suspect kicked Alice in the middle of the street.
“I heard pounding feet and I turned around and he was running at full speed towards us and I didn’t have time to really do anything,” Hickey told Q13 News. “I tied her on a leash and he ran towards her, knocked me down and he kicked her so hard that she flew into the air and started bleeding.”
Hickey, 67, said as soon as her beloved dog hit the concrete, it became clear she didn’t have much time left. Minutes later, Alice died in his arms.
“She thinks everyone likes her and she’s just proud of it,” Hickey said of Alice. “And the worst part, when she died, she looked at me… like she was confused as to if anyone would do something like that to her.”
On Tuesday, a judge finally decided to free the 29-year-old suspect without bail. He has not been formally charged. Seattle police objected to the suspect’s release, saying “his escalating behavior will continue.”
Prosecutors urged the judge to charge the man with animal cruelty, but the judge ruled that there could be cause for second-degree animal cruelty, which is a misdemeanor.
Hickey is currently in a wheelchair following the attack and is unsure what life will be like when his adorable companion has passed away. He lives alone and says that Alice is always there for him when he needs her.
“She got me through the days when I really didn’t think I would wake up in the morning,” says Hickey. “Except that I know she needs me and she knows that I need her.”
Hickey is devastated to have lost her best friend and is mourning her death. It is not clear if the suspect has been charged with anything in the attack.
However, one thing is for sure: Hickey will miss Alice more than anything.
“She would cuddle and put her arms around my neck,” Hickey said. “She is all I have. She is all I need.”
H/T: Fox 32 Chicago
Featured Image: Screenshot via Fox 32 Chicago
