Pit bull attack — UPDATE!

By David F. Rooney

A local man, Alan Macleod, was attacked by a black pit bull-rottweiler cross while walking along Aspen Crescent off Hay Road on Wednesday evening at about 6 pm.

“It was a pretty frightening experience,” he said in an interview Thursday afternoon.

Macleod said he was walking in the middle of the road when the animal attacked him. It bit his right wrist, drawing blood, and, when he pulled loose and turned away, it nipped his left hand.

“You see news stories about pit bull attacks and you wonder what provoked the animals,” he said, adding that he would understand if the animal felt threatened or was trying to defend its territory. “This animal wasn’t provoked.”

Macleod shouted for assistance and the animal’s owner appeared, called it off and apologized to him.

“I told him I would have to report this to the authorities,” Macleod said. “He understood and invited me inside to get cleaned up. I declined.”

Macleod said he contacted the Mounties when he reached his home on Uplands. The officer who attended photographed his injuries and took a statement. Macleod was treated at Queen Victoria Hospital and received a tetanus shot. He was lucky. He did not require stitches.

“I found out later the animal had been abused by a previous owner and had been rescued,” he said. “The owner hadn’t had it very long.”

However, Macleod also learned from an animal control officer that the same dog had frightened a couple passing by the house on August 7. He said he was told it had lunged at them snarling and growling but was, fortunately, tied up and could not reach them.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Jacquie Olsen said in a statement that the incident in the 1900 block of Aspen  Crescent and that both police and animal control officers are “continuing the investigation.”

The police did not identify the dog’s owner. Macleod said the man was very reasonable and concerned. He therefore chose not to identify him, either.

Macleod said he believes the owner will be required to keep the dog muzzled.