German shepherd that 'mauled' tiny terrier in Richmond deemed dangerous, costly recovery may lead to court battle

CANADA -- Wee Oscar, the Yorkie-poo who was attacked and badly wounded by a German shepherd July 26 while splashing around in the off-leash area along the shoreline at Richmond's McDonald Beach Park, is making a good recovery.

You can’t say the same for his owner’s bank account. Medical bills for Oscar have almost doubled from his initial treatment total, topping $2,000. And with financial help from the owner of the dog who bit him likely not coming, court action to try and get some compensation may be in the future, said Brigitte Malana.

“When the woman who owned the German shepherd talked to us after Oscar was bitten, she told us to ‘keep her in the loop.’ I understood that as her wanting to help out for what her dog had done,” Malana said. “I don’t think she would have given us her name and phone number if she wasn’t willing to do that.”

While how Oscar’s vet treatment will be paid for is still up in the air, the German shepherd involved in the incident may end up paying the ultimate price after the City of Richmond investigated the case and ruled the animal a dangerous dog, Malana said.

Brigitte Malana, her dad, Michael, and her Yorkie-poo, Oscar, return
to the scene of Sunday evening’s attack on McDonald Beach. Malana
claims Oscar was mauled by a German shepherd belonging
to a woman calling herself Vanessa.

According to the city’s bylaws, that means the owner must license the animal under the Dangerous Dog category and pay a higher fee of $272 if it is un-neutered pet or $218 if it has been neutered.
Regular dog licenses cost $33 for neutered animals and $76 for un-neutered.

Malana, who declared she is a devout animal lover — she was president of the Animal Rescue and Care Club at high school — said she fears another dog, or even a person, could be involved in an attack involving the German shepherd who bit Oscar.

“Personally, I don’t want to see this dog destroyed, but what happens if it bites someone else, maybe even a child?” said Malana, who is a second-year Simon Fraser University student.

If Malana’s family is unsuccessful at getting in contact with the German shepherd’s owner to arrange some form of compensation, she said legal action is the next step.

“She (dog owner) was made aware of that,” Malana said.

(The Province - Aug 13, 2015)