WATCH: A three-year-old Nanaimo boy is recovering tonight, after being mauled by a dog. It happened last week at a popular beach where dogs are allowed to be off leash. Kendall Hanson reports.
Invermere Beach, in Nanaimo’s north end, is a popular off-leash dog area. But last week, a husky-wolf mix suddenly attacked a three-year-old boy who was playing on the beach.
“There was some sniffing,” said Ian Fraser, Nanaimo Animal Control’s Senior Officer. “…and then, unfortunately, the dog launched into an unprovoked attack.”
The dog bit the child repeatedly on his arms, legs and on the side of his face.
The child was rushed to hospital where he received close to 40 stitches.
“My heart just broke for that little boy and his mother,” said Rhyannon Neff, who takes her dog to Invermere Beach often. “It’s very sad. I can’t even imagine.”
The boy has since been released and is recovering at home.
The dog’s owner surrendered the three-year-old husky-wolf mix to Nanaimo’s Animal Control Services. It has since been put down.
The investigating officer says just because a dog is in an off-leash area doesn’t mean the dog is free to roam at will.
“It’s the dog owner’s responsibility to ensure they have control over their dog at all times,” said Fraser. “So absolutely you should be within earshot of your dog and your dog should reliably respond to your call to return to you so you can avoid problems.”
Fraser says in this case the dog was a considerable distance in front of its owner out of earshot.
He says it’s important dog owners don’t stop paying attention to their pet when they’re in an off-leash area because that can lead to a frightening attack like this one on a young boy.
This incident follows another recent attack by a Staffordshire Terrier on a small dog in Chemainus.
Kendall Hanson
