Calls to enforce leash bylaws in North Vancouver after dog mauled to death

There are signs on the trail that runs adjacent to Lynn Creek in North Vancouver that say all dogs must be on leash. So Doreen Manuel figured it was safe to bring her two small Yorkshire terriers, named Sugar and Tyson, for a walk last month. But a large off-leash dog suddenly lunged at them.

“It just grabbed ahold of Tyson by his belly and just shook him like a toy, and he was screaming and screaming, it sounded like a child screaming,” said Manuel. “And I was yelling at them, ‘Get your dog, get your dog!’ And I’m trying to shield Sugar. They finally managed to make the dog drop Tyson.”

Manuel says the large dog’s owners were shocked and very apologetic.

“She was saying, 'What can I do, what can I do?' And I said, 'For starters, you should have kept your dog on a leash.' And she said he will never be off leash again. So right away, I felt these are responsible people. And then I saw the man loosen up his grip like he was going to let go, and the dog lunged toward us again,” said Manuel.

After exchanging information, she picked up her injured Yorkie and brought him to an emergency vet. The little dog was rushed into surgery, but he could not be saved.

“By one o’clock in the morning, they called and said I can come back and say my goodbyes if I wanted, or I could wait til morning. And I was awake, I had so much adrenaline pumping through me I wanted to go see him. So I did say my goodbyes,” said Manuel.

The owners of the off-leash dog that attacked Tyson offered to cover Manuel’s vet expenses, but she said so far they’ve only paid $3,000 of the $5,600 bill. She would like to recover the rest, and she’s calling on the City of North Vancouver to enforce its own leash bylaws.

“I want to see people start to get ticketed, because if a number of them get ticketed, they will start following the policies. It’s just that there’s no consequences right now, so they just think it’s OK,” said Manuel.

In an email, the City of North Vancouver said: “We are so sorry for the loss of Ms. Manuel’s dog. Dog attacks are traumatic events and the loss of a pet can have tough emotional consequences for victims.”

The statement said the city is investigating the attack on Tyson.

“Once the investigation is complete and depending on the findings, staff will take a number of actions ranging from issuing a written warning, a violation ticket and/or deeming the offending dog as vicious under the Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw.”

The city said bylaw officers do patrol the parks and educate dog owners about leash laws. But Manuel says she has never seen that happen at Lynn Creek trail.

“I don’t know if I can come over here again,” she said. “I don’t think that’s fair to us. Because we live in this neighbourhood too, and we should be able to come here and feel safe, and I don’t feel safe.”

Manuel is Indigenous and a residential school survivor.

“I belong to these lands, I should be able to walk on them safely. I shouldn’t have to worry about things like this, and now I’m scared,” she said.

Since the attack on Tyson, Manuel has been taking Sugar out in a carrier, rather than walking her on a leash.

“I’m scared of big dogs,” she said. “Like, even the friendly ones, I can feel myself tense up every time one comes near me. We haven’t been for a walk since then.”