Ross River man recovering after violent dog attack

RCMP in Ross River, Yukon, say a dog that violently attacked a man last week, sending him to hospital, will be euthanized.

The victim had been collecting recyclables from a neighbour's property last Thursday evening when the dog reportedly broke free of its chain and attacked. The man's leg was bitten, and he ultimately went to hospital in Whitehorse to receive more than 20 stitches. 

"In this particular case, in speaking with the pet owner, they feel horrible about what had happened and responsible, and they've told me that they're going to be following up with the Yukon animal protection officer," said RCMP Const. Daniel Bray.

"In instances of dog bites, the onus tends to go back to the dog owner. And it isn't necessarily an automatic the dog gets put down."

Bray said in this case, the territory's animal protection officers will bring the animal to Whitehorse to be killed.

The victim, Bray said, is now back in Ross River and "up and about, and actually doing quite well."

Problem dogs

Local resident Minnie Besner knows the victim, and visited him after the attack. She described him as vulnerable, or, "a street person". 

She says the incident is a reminder that pet owners need to take care of their animals.

"If people have their dogs tied up for that long of a period or duration, they seem to get kind of stir crazy," Besner said. "If it was a kid that was walking by, we would have had another tragedy in the community."

Three years ago, a bunch of loose dogs in Ross River attacked and killed 22-year-old Shane Glada. The incident shocked the community, and prompted the Ross River Dena Council to plead for help from the territorial government to deal with problem dogs.

• Dozens of dogs removed from Ross River, says Yukon's chief vet

• Yukon gov't to work with Ross River Dena Council on dog problem

​Const. Bray said he planned to meet with the local conservation officer in Ross River on Wednesday, and also wants to meet with Ross River Dena Council members next week, to talk about the ongoing dog issues, "and explore some options here."

But he insists dog bites are rare in Ross River, and people are ultimately responsible for their own pets.

"Although I wouldn't say there's an imminent risk, it's certainly something that we want to take care of and be proactive in, to prevent something from occurring," he said.