Dog euthanized after attack

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This article was published 24/08/2022 (1253 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Brandon mother of three who had to have the family pet euthanized after it was attacked by another dog is calling for the attacking dog to be euthanized and asking other dog owners to control their pets.

Catherine (who asked that her last name not be used for personal reasons) says she’s upset that she and her family has endured pain and expense due to the actions of another person’s pet.

“I don’t want to take revenge, but I want a dangerous dog to go away because people that have their pet cannot just not walk their dog, or walk them in fear, because one owner did not train their dog right,” Catherine said.

Meanwhile, the owner of the dog that attacked Flash says he feels bad about what happened, but says his dog has never attacked others before and he’s not putting it down. He added that he can’t afford to pay for vet bills beyond the $450 to $500 he paid for Flash’s initial treatment as Catherine would like him to do.

“It’s not like my dog is free-ranging Brandon and attacking everything,” said the man, who asked not to be named.

Flash, a 13-year-old Siberian husky and border collie mix, was gifted to Catherine and her family by Winnipeg resident Peter Rempel and his wife. Rempel said the couple are preparing to move into a seniors apartment and wanted their dog to go to a good home.

The pooch had been rescued from a shelter by Rempel’s daughter as a puppy and, over the years, lived with a couple of family members before she moved in with the Rempels.

A mutual acquaintance suggested Catherine and her three daughters — aged 3, 8 and 6 — were a good fit for Flash as she was gentle and good with children. The weekend of Aug. 6-7, Catherine and her family visited Flash in Winnipeg.

Rempel said it was evident that mother and daughters were immediately attached to the dog and they picked her up the next day to take her home to Brandon.

“We felt very glad to pass Flash on to this family, knowing that she would be loved and cared for,” Rempel said.

Catherine and her daughters were delighted as Flash fit right in.

“She was exactly what we ever dreamed in a dog,” Catherine said. “She was perfect. She was beautiful. She was kind.”

Catherine said she was excited to introduce Flash to friends, and that’s why she brought her to an outside dinner being held for friends at a north end home on Aug. 14.

But that’s when tragedy struck.

Initially, she left Flash at home as there was food and the dog had been napping. Meanwhile, at the dinner, neighbours were free to visit and grab some of food themselves. Among them was a man who arrived with his girlfriend, her children and their dog.

The man’s dog wasn’t on a leash, Catherine said, but she assumed that a person who brought their unleashed dog to a gathering of 50 people, including children, trusted the animal and it would be well behaved.

However, that notion was shattered when Catherine left to retrieve Flash and brought her to the dinner. Catherine said, just after arriving, she had Flash on a leash and was was giving her pet some chicken for dinner when the man’s dog, much bigger than Flash, attacked.

Catherine said she didn’t see the first bite inflicted on Flash, but she heard her bark and saw blood. Screaming, Catherine took a wrap from her head and used it to wipe away the blood so she could check the condition of her pet, but the attacking dog pushed her away and bit Flash again. The attack happened in front of Catherine’s three daughters.

The owner of the attacking dog, who had stepped away at the time, returned, pulled his animal off Flash and secured it in his girlfriend’s nearby home. Catherine acknowledges that the man tried to help find a veterinarian to help, but none were available.

Based on the advice of an on-call vet over the phone, Catherine managed to stop the bleeding and wrap Flash’s leg in a plastic bag, get her home, and treat the wound until the dog could be taken to a vet clinic on Aug. 16.

According to a veterinarian’s report, Flash’s leg had sustained deep, severe wounds to one of her legs, which was also fractured and had exposed ligaments and tendons. She would need surgery and was started on courses of antibiotics and pain medication. Ultimately, however, her leg grew seriously infected.

Catherine said the vet informed her family their dog was in severe pain and they made the decision to euthanize her. Catherine’s daughters were there to say goodbye when Flash was put down on Monday. Her former owners travelled from Winnipeg to say goodbye, too.

Catherine acknowledges that the owner of the dog that attacked Flash paid about $450 for the initial payment, but wouldn’t pay for other treatment Flash had received. Because Catherine is supporting three daughters on minimum wage, the Rempels paid the other vet bills, including for euthanasia and cremation, totalling about $850.

Catherine said she wants to recover that money from the other dog’s owner to repay the Rempels. She has also reported the incident to city animal control.

The owner of the attacking dog confirmed Catherine’s account, but said he didn’t know Flash was going to be at the dinner and everything had been fine with his dog prior to the incident.

According to the city’s Animal Control bylaw, all dogs, while away from their owner’s property, must be on a leash (except for off-leash parks) and under effective control of a competent person.

That same bylaw states that a dog may be declared dangerous following a hearing if it kills or injures another animal while off of the owner’s property, but it appears, while the owner of a dangerous dog may be required to implement numerous safety precautions, euthanasia of the animal is not required.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com