A little dog with a big heart is being called a hero after he was killed apparently protecting the family's newborn baby.
Two pit bulls somehow got into the back door of a neighbor's house in Richmond Sunday at around 5 p.m., where a woman was with her 22-day-old baby and the and the family's 1-year-old Chihuahua, police said.
As they approached the mom and baby, the Chihuahua, named "Manchas," put himself between the baby and the intruding dogs. One of the pit bulls chomped down on Manchas and took him out of the house. Police and animal control services officers called to the area found Manchas dead a short time later.
The officers followed the pit bulls to a house in the next block. They told the dogs' owner that he had to hand over the dogs but he refused, so they impounded the pits. The owner could face legal action. A dangerous dog hearing will be held to determine what to do with the pair of pits. If they are deemed dangerous, they could be put to sleep.
No people were hurt during the attack.
