Owner heartbroken after dog mauled to death in Gros Morne National Park
Katherine Ralph is looking for the owner of dog responsible for attack on Aug. 30
A Jackson's Arm woman is heartbroken and looking for answers after one of her dogs was killed by another in a brutal attack this week at Gros Morne National Park.
The last thing I want is for another person to lose their dog.- Katherine Ralph
On Wednesday, Katherine Ralph decided to take her two dogs Skip and Donk for a hike on the Western Brook Pond trail with her friend.
Both dogs were on their leashes, but got scared when a man passed by with a bigger dog.
"My dog Skipper made a terrifying little squeal," said Ralph.
"When I turned around to try and move him out of the situation, the man lost control of his dog, and the dog kind of flew past me, grabbed a hold of Donk, gave him a shake and then dropped him."
Ralph said she rushed Donk to a nearby veterinarian, but it was too late. He lost a lot of blood and succumbed to his injuries.
"He would have been two in January so he was only just a little over a year and a half old," she said.
Looking for dog owner
Ralph told the Corner Brook Morning Show Friday that she still hasn't been able to identify the dog's owner.
"I'd like the person to come forward, so professionals can assess and figure out if this dog has a history of aggression," she said. "The last thing I want is for another person to lose their dog."
In the chaos of trying to get her dog out of the park, Ralph asked nearby bystanders to get the name of the man, who she believes is in his late 50's.
She said she's not trying to jump to conclusions, but just wants to make sure an attack like this doesn't happen again.
"This man, I don't know the history of his dog, his dog may never have been aggressive before," said Ralph. "To burn him at the stake before we know the whole story of the dog and the owner, that's not something I want to do."
Not what Donk would want
She's hoping one of them will see her viral Facebook post and come forward with his information.
Until then, she's holding Skip close as she waits for more details.
"We won't stop hiking and we won't look at large dogs and think that they're terrible and we won't support breed specific legislation," said Walsh.
"That's not who we are and that's not what Donk would want."
With files from the Corner Brook Morning Show