Trainer urges people not to break up dog fights, after dog bites Wabush woman
A St. John's dog trainer is warning about the dangers of getting between two fighting dogs after a dog bit a Labrador West woman last week.
Cathy Pardy of Wabush was walking her husky on a leash April 13, when a German Shepherd got free from its walker and charged toward her dog.
"I didn't have time to react," Pardy told CBC's Labrador Morning.
"Before I knew it, her dog was on my dog and I guess owner's instinct [was] just to get this dog away. I wasn't thinking of my safety."
Pardy said she managed to get the dog away, but it bit her, requiring five stitches in her arm.
"When I pulled up my sweater, there was quite a large hole in my arm, probably about the size of a toonie," said Pardy.
Wheelbarrow method
Rose Brown, owner of Dynamic Canines in St. John's, said Pardy's situation isn't uncommon.
"Normally what happens during dog fights when people end up being bitten, it's a result of the way we try to intervene and break up the fight," Brown said.
While your initial reaction may be to jump in between the two fighting animals, Brown said doing that will likely end badly.
"They'll often redirect their bite towards you without even thinking, regardless of the situation because the dog is reacting out of instinct combined with adrenaline and they can do serious damage," she said.
The best way to stop a dog from attacking another dog, according to Brown, is to do what's called the wheelbarrow method — grabbing the attacking animal's back legs and dragging it back.
Wants dog put down
Meanwhile, Pardy said the attacking dog is currently at home and she wants it euthanized.
"I am not a cruel person," Pardy said. "If it was my dog there would be no question if my dog did that damage to somebody's arm, especially not under my control."
She said the police were contacted, as well as the Town of Wabush.
The town said it is currently in contact with its lawyer to review current bylaws to see what authority — if any — it has in cases such as Pardy's.
