Richmond woman suffers over 100 bites in dog mauling
Posted December 31, 2015 11:43 am.
Last Updated December 31, 2015 2:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
RICHMOND (NEWS 1130) – Three people are hurt after a vicious dog mauling in Richmond. One of the victims is in critical condition.
It happened in a field on Williams Road near Garden City Road yesterday shortly after 1 p.m. Police say officers arrived to find the woman covered in blood, trying to fend off an 80-pound rottweiler-cross.
“One of the officers attempted to distract the dog while the other officer tried extracting the wounded victim. The dog was momentarily distracted and returned to re-attack the victim and now one of our officers. [Our officer] was then forced to discharge her service pistol at the dog,” says Corporal Dennis Hwang.
The 21-year-old woman suffered over 100 bites, a broken arm, and a detached bicep. She is undergoing surgery and is in critical condition.
“Our officers commented that it was a pretty horrific sight to bear witness to,” adds Hwang.
Police say the woman was trying to draw the dog away from attacking her three-year-old nephew, the son of her twin sister. The boy’s mother was also seriously hurt in the attack, with multiple lacerations to her body. She was also taken to the hospital.
The boy wasn’t hurt.
The dog ran away but was eventually found and caught. It was uninjured. It is in the custody of the Richmond Animal Protection Society.
“Prior to our officers arriving, a Good Samaritan attempted to intervene, but was also attacked by the dog. He unselfishly put himself in harm’s way in order to protect a fellow human being. He was also treated in hospital suffering from lacerations to his hand. It was a miracle that our officers were unharmed,” says Hwang.
“The dog is known to the twin victims and is owned by a boyfriend,” he tells us.
It’s unclear if the dog will be put down. The Richmond Animal Protection Society says it is up to the city and police to determine what will happen to the animal.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Richmond RCMP’s correction on the breed of the dog. It was previously stated to be a Rottweiler-pit bull cross. Mounties now say it was a Rotweiler-cross.
