A Calgary woman says she’s “still in complete shock” after her dog died following an attack at a park in the city.
Rikki Segall was walking her dog Athena in the Thorncliffe area on Wednesday evening when she says another dog came out of nowhere and attacked Athena.
“I tried to pull the dog off my dog because it was severely attacking her and I ended up on the ground trying to pull it off, but I wasn’t able to because the dog was too heavy,” Segall said.
Segall said the other dog bit Athena on the stomach, and she could see blood and fatty tissue coming from her dog’s body.
Several witnesses came to help, Segall said, and the person looking after the attacking dog managed to gain control of the animal by its collar. Segall said she told the man to wait, she wanted to talk to him, but he took off and didn’t come back.
Athena’s diaphragm was punctured in the attack, Segall said. She died the next day after undergoing surgery.
“I can’t believe it happened,” she said. “I’ve experienced a lot of sadness over the past day, and exhaustion.”
City of Calgary Bylaw Services is investigating the incident, and confirmed on Friday that the dog in question is in custody.
The city also confirmed it issued tickets for having a dog at large, and for the damages to the dog that was killed, both of which come with a mandatory court appearance. The tickets were not issued to the owner of the dog, according to Calgary Community Standards duty inspector Fausto Ricioppo.
He said the dog was turned over to the city on Thursday night and is being kept in the animal shelter for the time being. He said it’s too early in the investigation to say what will happen to the dog. The dog’s breed was not disclosed.
Segall said she’s happy to see the case moving forward and hopes to see justice for her dog.
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