Stray dogs attack, kill woman on Manitoba reserve

LITTLE GRAND RAPIDS, Man. — A woman on a nighttime walk was attacked and killed by a large group of stray dogs in a remote Manitoba First Nation, RCMP said Monday.

The attack in Little Grand Rapids, a fly-in settlement 300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, renewed concerns about the dangers of dogs left to roam small communities in the north.

RCMP said in a news release that they received a report on Saturday that the body of a woman had been found at a construction site.

“The initial investigation has determined that a 24year-old female from Little Grand Rapids First Nation was on her way home from another residence in the early hours of Saturday morning when she was attacked by a large group of stray dogs,” the release said.

“The victim succumbed to her injuries sustained during the attack.”

Chief Roy Dunsford told CTV News the woman’s body was found surrounded by about 30 dogs. He said one of the dogs has been put down.

RCMP did not name the woman, but she was identified by several media outlets and the Southern Chiefs Organization, which represents First Nations across southern Manitoba, as Donnelly Rose Eaglestick.

Stray dogs have long been a problem on remote reserves across the Prairies and have killed some people. In 2007, a five-year-old boy died after being attacked outside his home on the Cumberland House reserve in northeastern Saskatchewan.

Communities sometimes organize culls to reduce the population, and animal rescue groups try to find new homes for strays in the south.