Neighbour saves woman in life threatening dog attack

EDMONTON – Police are commending the actions of a man who helped a woman being mauled by a pack of dogs Sunday morning.

Police said a woman was walking her dog in an alley at 101 St. and 112 Ave. at around 9 a.m. when she was attacked by at least three dogs.

Neighbour Joe Christensen saw the attack and attempted to distract the dogs.

“When I got a little close to the situation those dogs turned on me. I had to run,” explained Christensen. “It was a traumatizing situation.”

Christensen said he then drove his vehicle to the woman and managed to get her and her dog inside until police and EMS arrived.

“I got her into my car and then I sat her down. And, you know, she had a good chunk of meat taken out of the back of her leg.”

The woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but police said the situation could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the efforts of Christensen.

“As far as I’m concerned, yeah, he saved her life,” said Staff Sgt. Randy Wickens.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "As far as I'm concerned, yeah, he saved her life," said Staff Sgt. Randy Wickens.

“I think he was amazing. To run down the back alley seeing this woman in need, he rescued her. He rescued this woman from further attack, further harm.”

Christensen downplayed his actions

“You do what you do to help people right.”

Dog Owner Aaron Copeland said he left his four dogs in his backyard when he left the home to get a coffee.

According to Copeland, the dogs were in his backyard when he returned, but a neighbour came to his home to inform him his dogs had attacked a woman.

“I didn’t see anything. By the time I came out, my dogs were all in the yard like they were taking a pee. To me it didn’t seem like anything had happened, even though my neighbour said it did,” said Copeland.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I didn't see anything. By the time I came out, my dogs were all in the yard like they were taking a pee. To me it didn't seem like anything had happened, even though my neighbour said it did," said Copeland.

Copeland said he was shocked because his dogs have never been aggressive in the past.

“They just bark. They’ve never done anything like this ever, ever.”

He believes his dogs escaped the backyard by pushing through a gate.

The loose dogs were detained by bylaw officers.

The victim’s dog was taken to a veterinary clinic after sustaining serious bite wounds and vertebrae damage.