Two dogs shot after attacks on man, woman

Police shot and killed two dogs after what one witness described as a “scary, traumatic” attack on a man and a woman Saturday morning in the city’s east end.

The animals were loose in the Orléans area bordered by 10th Line Road, Tompkins Avenue, Des Epinettes Avenue and Duford Road when the attack happened around 11:15 a.m., police said.

Patrol officers arrived at the scene and put the animals down. One was located and killed on Duvernay Drive, the other along 10th Line Road near Charlemagne Boulevard, said Acting Sgt. Wayne Wilson. “Because of the aggressive nature of the dogs, they had to be put down. They were still being aggressive when officers arrived.”

Police said they looked to be pit bull-type dogs, but the breed had not yet been confirmed.

Paramedics said a woman, 25, and a man, 66, were involved in the attack. The woman suffered severe lacerations to both her upper arms, as well as her head, face, back and buttocks.

The man, who attempted to help the woman during the attack, had lacerations to his left knee.

Both were transported to hospital in stable condition.

This is the second reported dog attack in nearly three weeks in Ottawa. A woman’s arm was mauled by a pit bull-type dog owned by her daughter on July 23. Ottawa bylaw officers confiscated the male dog and euthanized it several days later.

Tina Lavoie-Deschamps was in bed in her home on Lamoureux Avenue when she heard screaming from outside.

“I ran out and made it to the trees,” said Lavoie-Dechamps, pointing to a row of pine trees between the street and the front yard of her and her neighbours’ townhouses. “And I realized I can’t help her because it’s two huge pit bulls — they were big.”

Over the next four or five minutes, the dogs “would not let go” of the woman, said Lavoie-Deschamps, describing the ferocity of the attack. “They were just attacking her — she was on the ground and there was blood everywhere. It was bad,” she said.

During the attack, several passing motorists stopped at the scene and started blowing their horns in an effort to distract the dogs, she added. “A couple of minutes later, an older guy came with a shovel, so the dog went to go and attack him but he hit him in the head so then the dog ran away … so (the woman being attacked) had time to get in a car.”

Lavoie-Deschamps, has only lived in the neighbourhood for a month now and said she is “terrified” to let her three children play outside. “They keep on wanting to go outside and I won’t allow them.”

Danielle Watcher was driving in her car near where the attack happened on Lamoureux Drive and Des Epinettes Avenue, when she heard screaming.

“The dogs were almost dragging the girl. They kept pulling her down and pulling her down,” she said.

“I was trying to stomp my feet, honk my horn, just doing anything to create commotion and scare the dogs off and nothing was working.”

Any witnesses to the attack are asked to contact Ottawa police. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers tollfree at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or by downloading the Ottawa police app.