Winston the car-eating dog dies

Winston the pit bull mix was tough enough to tear the bumper off a Chattanooga police car, but his owner said he couldn’t conquer heart disease.

Winston achieved worldwide fame in March when video of him attacking and ripping the bumper off a police car went viral. Winston had to go to court and was put on doggy probation, though his family defended him a sweet and unagressive under any other circumstances than police running radar in his front yard.

A message on Winston’s Facebook page Saturday said the dog died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle that interferes with the organ’s ability to pump blood.

By Saturday evening, dozens of people had posted notes of sympathy on Winston’s Facebook page.

Video: Winston the dog vs a police car