Warning: This story contains sensitive content that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
A Vancouver Island dog owner said his dog was hit in the head with a machete by a stranger.
Adam Perret thought nothing was out of the ordinary when he let out his dog, Magic, out in the morning from his camper on a logging road in Parksville, B.C. on Thursday.
To his horror, he said he heard his dog yelp and saw two strangers, a man and a woman, near his dog.
“My dog yelped and there was a guy standing there with a machete, and half of my dog’s face was peeled off,” he told Global News. “He hit my dog, she was smiling and laughing the entire time.”
Perret said Magic ran back to him and he immediately called police. He said the two suspects quickly disappeared and RCMP officers could not locate them.
However, in a statement on Monday, Oceanside RCMP said their investigation determined that Magic was acting aggressively towards the couple who were out walking.
The dog bit one of the people on the left leg and that is when, police said, they slashed at the dog in self-defence.
“This strike successfully stopped the attacking dog and the couple quickly departed and immediately self-reported the altercation to the Oceanside RCMP,” police said in the release.
“The couple felt saddened for injuring the dog but felt they had to defend themselves.”
Magic was rushed to the vet hospital where it was found the cut went right through the muscle on the dog’s face.
“There was a very deep laceration to the face, basically the side of the skull, and down the face and it was somewhat peeling of the skull,” Dr. Alastair Westcott said, with i-Care Veterinary Hospital.
“I’ve seen some pretty horrendous wounds, but nothing inflicted quite like this.”
For 15 years, Perret has been walking his pups along the same trail in Parksville. He said he has never had an encounter even close to this.
“We need to identify the guy,” Perret said.”This is supposed to be a safe place where people take their dogs to walk.”
Perret said he is on disability and lives out of his camper. He couldn’t afford the Magic’s costly bill.
That is when the vet stepped in to help.
“I spoke to the owner of the vet and asked is this would be a suitable candidate for our HEART fund. HEART stands for ‘help every animal receive treatment’,” vet employee Nena Henriksen said.
After medical treatment, including stitches, anesthetic and lots of love and attention, Magic has been reunited with his owner and is back at home.
No criminal charges are being recommended by the Oceanside RCMP and the public is reminded to leash their pets especially if they tend to act aggressively, police said.
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