A Parksville Qualicum Beach man is upset his dog was seriously injured after being struck with a machete while walking the rural trails in the Grafton Road area in Errington.
Adam Perret said the incident happened in the morning of May 23.
“I take my dogs to this public walking trail, where a lot of other people take their dogs for a walk,” said Perret. “I spent the night there in my camper and when I woke up in the morning, I got my dogs out to do their business. I looked away for a second and the next thing you know my dog was bleeding from the face and there was man standing there with a machete.”
Perret said he quickly called the Oceanside RCMP, who responded to the call, identified all parties involved and spoke with them, said Const. Tim Kenning in a news release.
Kenning indicated the investigation determined a large dog was off-leash and acted aggressively towards a couple out walking in the same area. The off-leash dog, according to the RCMP, advanced towards the couple and bit one of them on the left leg.
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In self-defence to stop the attack, the dog was struck with the machete, police said. The couple quickly departed and immediately self-reported the incident to police.
Perret took his dog to the I-Care Veterinary Hospital in Coombs where it was treated for a serious cut on its face. He said he also had to deal with a $2,000 bill that he could not afford.
The veterinarian who treated the dog, Nena Henrickson, said the injury was deep and very concerning.
“The bone was actually scored,” said Henrickson. “It went through all layers of tissues. It was more about making sure that it was properly cleaned a flushed to ensure we’re not living the door open for infection and multiple layers of sutures had to be used.”
Henrickson confirmed that the bill was approximately $2,000. The hospital used a discretionary fund to help Perret.
“We have decided as it was a necessary treatment, we have chosen to use our HEART Fund, which stands for Helping Every Animal Receive Treatment,” Henrickson explained, adding donations are also coming in to help cover the bill.
Perret said the behaviour toward his dog was alarming.
“If a dog barks at you, we give the owner at least enough time to call the dog back,” said Perret. “You can pick up a stick or something but to draw a knife or machete on a public walking trail is totally wrong.”
The couple felt saddened for injuring the dog but felt they had to defend themselves, said police.
No criminal charges are being recommend by the Oceanside RCMP and the public is reminded to leash their pets.
