'It was horrendous': Calgary family traumatized after vicious dog attack in northwest

A Calgary family is warning others and wants to see more accountability for pet owners after their dog was attacked and seriously injured in the northwest community of Royal Oak.

It happened Tuesday while Vaughn Kellington was walking her four-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, Max, on a popular walking trail in the neighbourhood.

Kellington says she noticed a brown Doberman off-leash in the non-off-leash area and before she could react, the Doberman jumped onto them and latched onto Max.

"Max was screaming and when I fell down to the ground, I lost my grip of Max, and the dog took Max and was biting him and shaking him," she said.

Two neighbours witnessed the attack and jumped in to help but despite their efforts couldn't get the Doberman to release its grip.

"To hear your dog screaming like that and not being able to help, it was tough," Kellington said.

The owner arrived and helped wrestle with the dog while the others removed Max's dog parka, which allowed him to break free.

Kellington and her husband, Erick Salas, believe it was the dog's jacket that saved his life, but Max still suffered serious injuries and received deep-tissue stitches.

The Doberman's owner was remorseful and told the couple he had adopted the dog the day before the attack.

Salas says he doesn't understand why the animal wasn't leashed.

"In my view, this person should not be allowed to adopt or have a dog ever because of the disregard for the safety rules," he said.

"My concern is that it's a vicious dog. Look what he did to (Max). It could have been a child walking a dog. We have plenty of teenagers walking dogs in the neighbourhood. Where's the accountability?"

City bylaw officers confirm they are investigating, but say it is too early in the process to offer comment on this case.

"I would say a dog at large is usually the underlining issue for most of our aggressive cases, so whether it's a dog that has escaped the property or a dog that is being walked off-leash. The dog is loose and then something is allowed to happen or does happen, so it is usually that main issue leading up to an aggression case," said Sgt. Mel Parkinson with the city's community safety unit.

Under the bylaws, "animal causes damage to another animal" and "animal attacks another animal causing severe injury" both have specific criteria and carry fines of $300 and $1,000, respectively.

Bylaw officers can also recommend an animal is designated as a nuisance or as vicious.

Kellington and Salas don't believe these punishments go far enough.

"It is horrendous what happened two days ago. It was a brutal, unprovoked attack that happened to a defenceless woman walking her dog at noon, and it was traumatic for everybody," Salas said.

"It creates that uncertainty and that feeling of 'We're not safe around here.'"