Dog attack victim speaks out

Sitting at her kitchen table with a stark white bandage around her swollen right hand, a Regina woman said she’s a bit scared of big dogs now after she and her granddaughter were attacked by one last week.

Ida Peters said she was at her home on Pasqua Street with two of her granddaughters on Friday. The seven-year-old came inside then Peters let the dog in – it’s owned by her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend who lived in the same house at the time.

She said the dog walked around and looked out the window, then went after the little girl.

“I jumped off the couch to help her out because the dog had her by her ponytail and was dragging her and whipping her. I didn’t know at the time that my hand was right in his mouth, and by the time I got it released, I pulled my hand out and then I had 32 stitches.”

She said the girl had to have 32 stitches on one side of her head, and at least 10 on the other side.

Peters’ other granddaughter went and got help from a neighbour.

She said her hand didn’t hurt at all until doctors started putting the stitches in – Peters said she was just walking around the house, looking at her hand and wondering what just happened.

“We had him since he was a pup here so, we don’t know what triggered it,” explained Peters.

Peters is employed at a cleaning company, but she can’t work right now because of her hand. She said doctors think she may need a skin graft.

The dog is described by the family as a pit bull but was described by animal control as a bullmastiff type. It was seized by animal control on Friday and is being held on behalf of the City of Regina until orders are given otherwise.

Animal Control’s investigation into what happened is still ongoing. Any consequences, such as the dog being deemed dangerous or being put down, would have to be decided by the courts.

Peters said her daughter asked, but she didn’t want to share an opinion on what happens to the dog.

“They asked me what would I do if it was mine, I said ‘well it’s not mine so I can’t say what I would do.’ It’s my daughter’s dog and her boyfriend; they want to keep him that’s up to them.”

However, there won’t be any more big dogs in Peters’ home.

“I don’t want no more dogs that big here – anything five pounds, six pounds maybe, but that’s it.”