"One of the dogs picked him up in his jaw — it was two Dobermans — and started shaking him in the air," said Irene Linklater, whose Yorkie-cross Dipper suffered several bite wounds that required emergency treatment and an overnight stay at a veterinary hospital.
The attack happened Sept. 7 at the park in the city's North Kildonan area. Dipper was running ahead when Linklater heard the sounds of dogs snarling.
During the incident, a man and woman who appeared to be the owners of the Dobermans, walked up and Linklater yelled at them to get their dogs to stop.
She was stunned by their reaction.
"They just kept yelling, 'it's your dog's fault,' and they moved further away," said Linklater, who was able to pull Dipper away, but not before the injuries were sustained.
When she told the couple she was going to report the attack, they took the dogs and left the park.
"It's a shock. It's unbelievable," Linklater said about the couple's disregard.
Dipper was rushed to Pembina Veterinary Hospital, where he was taken into surgery. Linklater was handed an $800 bill.
Dipper is expected to make a full recovery but it's not likely the owners of the Dobermans will face any fine. Linklater didn't get the licence plate number of their vehicle so there's no way to track them down.
According to the city's Animal Services department, potential charges can be laid and a ticket can be issued through the courts, but victims need to get as much information as possible about the other person and their dog.
It comes down to people taking responsibility, said Don Martens, another Kilcona dog park user.
Earlier this summer, his dog bit another puppy and Martens paid for the vet bill.
"You have to take care of your own. You are responsible for your pet," he said.
(CBC.ca - Sept 14, 2015)
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