Polischuk was out walking her dog Heidi on Sunday at about noon near 121 Street and 92 Avenue. She likes strolling in that area because it's close to Scott Road and it feels safe.
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| Merle Polischuk, 91, and her 12-year-old Sheltie, Heidi, were attacked by two pit bulls. |
However, on Sunday, a young man walking two pit bulls could no longer hold onto their leads and the animals charged Heidi, biting the small dog.
"One at each end trying to pull her," Polischuk remembers. "The guy that had them came over, and of course, one guy with two pit bulls can't do a heck of a lot."
Polischuk tried to pull her dog away from the marauding pit bulls, but was knocked to the ground several times. Her knees got scraped and her head was badly bruised from the falls.
At one point, one of the animals grabbed her by the hand and tore open her finger.
Eventually the man was able to get the animals under control, but the damage was done.
It all seemed to happen extremely quickly, Polischuk said.
By the time it was over, the city's animal control people were there, as were ambulance, fire and police personnel.
Police said they were called to assist because the ambulance crews were afraid of what the pit bulls might do next.
Heidi was taken to the vet and Polischuk to hospital.
The vet told Polischuk if she hadn't gotten Heidi in when she did, the sheltie would have died.
"Thankfully, we got her home," Polischuk said. "I think these pit bulls ought to be banned. They're too dangerous to be on the street."
Polischuk has already paid about $1,400 in vet bills and expects to shell out more when she goes back for a follow-up on Wednesday. The owner of the pit bulls has made no overtures to share in the cost of the vet bills.
Polischuk is still shaken.
"It wasn't a very nice experience, that's for sure," Polischuk said. "It shakes you up all right, no fooling."
She says the experience has changed her and how she'll go about her day.
"I'm not going to take (Heidi) outside the gate again," Polischuk said. "We've been doing this for 12 years, you know, and nothing happened. You never know, I guess."
The city says it has three animal control officers investigating the attack.
During the investigation, the pit bulls can only come out of the house if they are wearing muzzles, and if they are kept in a yard they must be in a six-sided kennel.
Once the investigation is complete, the dogs may be classified as dangerous under the city's Dog Responsibility Bylaw.
Once that occurs, it becomes much more expensive to keep an animal. Licence fees go from $33 to $234 annually. The first impound fee ($50) and second or more impound fee ($100) increases for a dangerous dog to $1,000 for the first impound and $5,000 for future dog seizures.
The city could not say when it would complete its investigation.
As for the vet bills, the city says that is a civil matter between Polischuk and the pit bulls' owner.
(Surrey North Delta Leader - June 5, 2012)
