We first heard about a woman who allegedly tossed her boyfriend's jack russell terrier out of a third-story window in the Mission during an argument. Now, sadly, we must to tell you about four men in San Jose who stomped to death a 4-pound mini-yorkie trying to protect its owner. The pup's owner said he was walking his best friend, Shadow, near Winchester Boulevard and Colonial Way around 2 p.m. on Saturday when three useless human beings approached him to ask if he was a gang member.

"The owner said he had tried to run with his dog but tripped, and the men began kicking and hitting him. He heard the small dog barking and trying to protect him," reports Vivian Ho of The Chronicle. "The men beat him for about a minute. Once they ran off, the man said, he looked at his dog and 'just saw a big puddle of blood.' "

Horrible. The man, who wasn't identified since he fears for his life, went on to give the Chron a heart-smashing quote describing the last moments of Shadow's life:

"He wasn't making too many noises, but I could see his eyes and that's when I broke down...They were still blinking a little bit, but so much blood was leaking out of him. I knew the moment he died in my arms. I heard him take his last breath and just kept thinking, 'There's no way this is happening.' "

We'll give you a moment to go hug your pet. You back now? Good.

The dog's owner was wearing Rex Sox clothing and accessories, which might have led the bumbling gang members to assume he was part of a rival sect. He claims that he's not affiliated with any gang. Police have yet to capture the three men. Anyone with information should call San Jose police at 408-277-8911.