An animal rescue society on Vancouver Island is pleading with dog owners to be more responsible, after an off-leash dog attacked an otter, leading to its death.
The Mars Wildlife Emergency Hotline in Comox was called to Goose Spit Park on Sunday, after someone reported an injured otter on the shoreline.
When a rescue team arrived, the dog had chased the otter back into the water. It eventually came back out, suffering from bite wounds, along with injuries suggesting it might have also been attacked by another otter.
It’s the second otter pup confirmed to have been attacked by a dog so far this year, but junior rehab assistant Natasha Davies said the hospital has also treated seal pups and raccoons chased by dogs.
“So far this year, all of our intakes for confirmed dog attack patients have either died in care or been euthanized on arrival due to the extent of their injuries,” she said.
“We are just urging for a high quality of pet ownership, really. It’s largely on the people who allow dogs to chase wildlife.”
Kristen Nicholson, who runs Fit Fido Dog Training, said owners who want to take their dog out off-leash should ensure they have control of their pets.
“It’s really important to have that solid foundation of recall and having your dog want to come to you,” she said.
“Realistically, we want to have our dogs off doing fun things with us … but if you don’t have that solid foundation and that training of recall, especially, you can’t have your dog off a leash.”
She added that animals are never perfect, and there are just some places you cannot take your dog off leash because you can’t be sure they won’t chase something.
That’s the case at least part of the year at Goose Spit Park, where signs are posted warning owners to keep their dogs leashed between March 1 and May 20.
However, despite specific leash rules, allowing a dog to chase wildlife is always illegal.