Pit bull attacks guide dog

By Dan Ferguson - Surrey North Delta Leader - May 13, 2008

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Surrey resident Chris Bublitz and her guide dog Valerie were half-way across the busy street, when the blind woman heard another dog growling.

Witnesses described it as a pit bull cross. It had slipped out of its collar.

The pit bull attacked Valerie, biting the eight-year-old black Labrador’s forehead and mangling her right ear.

Bublitz isn’t sure how she managed to avoid being bitten herself while she was trying to separate the animals.

Valerie couldn’t flee, because she was in harness and she is trained to stay by Bublitz, no matter what.

The pit bull’s owner arrived in moments, swearing at his pet and telling it to come to him.

Once the animals were separated, he did issue a brief apology, telling Bublitz he was sorry.

When the RCMP arrived at the scene, on the King George Highway near 94 Avenue, they told Bublitz it was a matter for the SPCA, not police, because no person had been hurt.

Some 20 stitches and about $500 in veterinary bills for Valerie later, Bublitz said her dog will physically recover from her injuries, but the psychological fallout may have left her too nervous to work.

Bublitz has been out a few times with Valerie since the April 26 attack, and has noticed that her formerly calm and happy dog keeps looking behind herself and sometimes will suddenly change directions.

“She’s scared of other dogs now. She won’t go near them “ Bublitz said.

“It could be a career-ender for her.”

Bublitz been told by the Surrey SPCA that the pit bull owner has been fined $75 and ordered to keep his dog muzzled and on a secure leash.

“I think it’s pretty wimpy,” Bublitz said.

She would like to see tougher measures, including an outright ban on owning pit bulls in Surrey.

dferguson@surreyleader.com

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Pit bull attacks guide dog

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