Police in California investigate serial cane corso maulings in Oakland parks after the state's housing secretary sees her 12-year-old dog mauled to death

California Secretary of Housing and Homelessness Tomiquia Moss was walking Pepper through Oakland's Lakeside Park near Lake Merritt on Friday when two cane corsos jumped two fences and charged at them, mauling the dog for three minutes despite Moss, the owner and a park worker all struggling to intervene. Pepper suffered collapsed ribs and died at the veterinarian the following morning, leaving Moss and her wife devastated.

Moss said: 'They both had her body, shaking her, and I couldn't do anything.'

Oakland residents have reported at least eight similar attacks since late last year, all believed to involve the same two cane corsos and their irresponsible owner.

Witness Tina Lauchengco called the Lakeside Park attack 'completely awful' and shared video footage of the incident on social media.