10-pound dog mauled to death in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — A 73-year-old Winnipeg woman is grieving the death of her goldendoodle, Lily, after she was mauled by another dog during a walk in North Kildonan Tuesday.

Justin Smith said his mother, Linda Smith, was walking Lily near Chornick Drive and Malcana Street around 12:30 p.m., when a large-breed dog broke free from its collar and leash and pounced on the smaller dog.

Lily, who weighed only 10 pounds, suffered devastating injuries.

“It was over before it started,” Justin Smith said. “The damage was intense. She was unrecognizable.”

The dog that initiated the attack appeared to be a mixed breed; it had the facial features of a black Labrador retriever and the build of a larger, more muscular dog, he said.

Linda Smith suffered deep punctures and lacerations to her hand while trying to protect Lily. When the attack was over, she picked up her injured pet and ran back to her home about 400 metres away.

The caretaker of the other animal, a woman around the same age, did the same.

Justin Smith said his mother is recovering from her injuries, which did not require surgery. Although the animal who bit her was up to date on its vaccinations, the family is monitoring her wounds for infection.

The psychological damage will last longer.

“She is understandably extremely traumatized by this event,” he said. “Mom and Lily were inseparable, and this loss has left an unimaginable hole in her everyday life. Anyone with an elderly parent can appreciate how difficult this is for her.”

He located the other dog’s owner after the attack and learned she was fostering the animal on behalf of K9 Advocacy Manitoba, a registered charity that rescues dogs and cats from First Nations.

The woman expressed remorse, and produced a pronged collar that she said the dog had worn before breaking free.

“Whether it broke free or the collar malfunctioned, I’m not quite sure … It didn’t latch properly. You could tell that it was bent,” he said.

“We’re not accusing anybody of any malpractice here or malicious intent. She didn’t take this dog for a walk intending for it to go and hurt somebody.”

K9 Advocacy Manitoba director Chelsea Kork said the dog that initiated the attack was a female who was rescued by the organization about seven months ago. It had lived with three other dogs, including one that was a smaller breed, without issues.

“It’s just a terribly tragic situation that we never expected, especially from this dog,” Kork said.

“We don’t ever want people to think that rescue dogs are bad dogs because they aren’t. It’s just that — at the end of the day — they are animals. They can’t tell us what they are thinking and it’s just all around a really devastating situation.”

The dog had been recently treated for heartworm, and its foster owner was beginning the process of reintroducing the animal to on-leash walks when the attack occurred.

Kork said her organization has offered to cover the cost of cremating Lily.

The other dog is in the care of Animal Services, and is likely going to be euthanized, she said.

City of Winnipeg spokesperson Pam McKenzie confirmed Animal Services is reviewing the incident, but could not provide details, citing the investigation.

“The dog is secured and there is no ongoing threat to the community while the investigation proceeds,” McKenzie said in an email statement.

She did not confirm whether the animal will be euthanized, but referenced the city’s responsible pet ownership bylaw.

Under the bylaw, a dog can be designated as “exceptionally dangerous” if the “evidence, severity of the incident, history, or circumstances indicate the risk cannot be adequately managed.”

“An exceptionally dangerous dog designation results in the dog not being returned to the community. The outcome in any case is based on the evidence gathered through the investigation,” McKenzie said.

Data from Animal Services show the department has received 176 reports of dog biting incidents so far this year.

In 2025, 436 incidents were reported — up from 417 and 406 in each of the previous two years.

Justin Smith said he and his family are frequent donors to animal rescue groups in the province. They agreed to share their story to shine a light on the rampant overpopulation of dogs in some Manitoba communities.

“Fosters are overrun and trying to find placement for all the dogs is extremely challenging. There needs to be stricter protocols put in place for how dogs are matched with fosters and further enhanced safety measures,” he said.

“We understand that fostering dogs is a very challenging and underfunded process in this province. Steps need to be taken to make sure this type of incident never happens again.”

» Winnipeg Free Press