Blue, a three-year-old Great Pyrenees/Lab cross, spent a week recovering from a his encounter with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier at the head of the Coho Flats trail system.
Carin Rosner, Blue’s owner, said that just as they were beginning their walk on Nov. 6, a dog from one of the homes backing the trail managed to escape his yard and went after Blue.
Rosner and her hiking partner had to fight back against the terrier, who had locked his jaws on Blue, who eventually needed 22 staples from the attack.
“She got a huge gash,” said Rosner, who said it took a week for Blue to feel better. “It was so horrible.”
Rosner has talked with the Kitimat Humane Society and filed a report with them. In response the Humane Society picked up the attacking dog for treatment as well, as it was beat up when Rosner and her friend fought back.
Rosner eventually used pepper spray on the dog when it wouldn’t release.
Maryann Ouellet, manager of the Humane Society, confirmed that a dog in the backyard of a home backing the trail got loose and attacked another dog. She said the dog received bruising and cuts.
In response the Humane Society has told the dog’s owner that the conditions of the yard had to change, namely make it impossible for the dog to get under the fence in the future. Also the owner is responsible for paying the veterinary bill for Blue.
She said no fines were given from the incident.
“The dogs were contained on a property...so you just have to deal with the fact that it wasn’t that these dogs were purposely running loose.”