Montérégie woman, 60, suffers serious bites in family dog attack

A 60-year-old woman in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, southeast of Montreal, suffered serious bites to her arms, face and head Monday when she was attacked by two dogs that lived with her.

One of the dogs, which police described as a pit bull-type dog, was shot and killed when officers responded to the scene and found it acting aggressively.

The second dog, described as a Boston terrier, was handed over to a local rescue.

On Tuesday, police said they plan to have it euthanized. 

The woman was found bleeding from bites to her arms, face and ears in an alley behind the apartment building where she lived.

"There will be serious, permanent damage," said Luc Tougas, a local police force spokesman. Police had earlier said the woman was 64 years old, but later confirmed she was 60.

She was rushed to the Haut-Richelieu Hospital and then transferred to a hospital in Montreal.

The woman, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was living with her son, police said. The pit bull-type dog belonged to him and the Boston terrier was hers.

Eve Martin, who lives downstairs, credits another neighbour with saving the woman's life.

She told CBC that a "courageous man" tried to get the dog as far as he could from the woman, who was on the ground.

Tougas said there had been no previous calls to police about the dogs. He added he didn't believe there would be any criminal charges in the case, which he called "very sad and unfortunate."