Elderly woman hurt protecting dog in pit bull attack

An elderly woman and her Yorkshire terrier are recovering after being attacked by a pit bull in White Rock.

The 77-year-old woman required medical attention and an overnight stay at Peace Arch Hospital, while her Yorkie spent the night at a vet hospital after the Aug. 20 attack.

“She’s a champ, at 77 jumping in like that and protecting her little dog,” said Farnaz Farrokhi, City of White Rock communications manager.

The woman was taking a morning walk with her Yorkie in a residential neighbourhood when a pit bull charged out of a yard and attacked the tiny dog, she told White Rock RCMP.

When she bent down and covered up her Yorkie, trying to protect it, the pit bull attacked her.

“Aggressive behaviour by dogs against people and other animals is a serious threat to public safety and will not be tolerated,” said Dan Bottrill, chief administration officer in White Rock.

“The city also recognizes that most dog owners are responsible dog owners and are vigilant when out with their dog in public, including our off-leash dog park, so it’s unfortunate that incident has occurred.”

The victim and the Yorkie are recovering at home, Farrokhi said, but the dog was taken back to the vet on Monday because the owner said it was still bleeding and in pain.

White Rock’s bylaw enforcement office is investigating.

The pit bull has been located, Farrokhi said, but remains in the custody of its owner for now.

The city sent out a plea to people who own breeds of dogs that have aggressive tendencies to be vigilant and keep their dogs on leashes at all times, being extra cautious if using an off-leash dog park or trail.

The attack in White Rock comes two months after Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said that the city’s animal control bylaws will be rewritten in the fall to ban pit bulls. Under the amended bylaws no new pit bull dogs will be permitted in the city. Existing dogs will be required to be sterilized and when they are in public they will have to be muzzled.