An Oak Bay woman is warning others after her 10-year-old dog was attacked on Willows Beach and had to be put down due to his injuries.
Carol Parlow was walking her dog Champ, a chihuahua mix, on Willows Beach on Tuesday morning when she noticed out of the corner of her eye another dog racing toward him.
“A female dog came running and grabbed him and shook him and crushed him,” she said.
Champ was screaming in pain and Parlow rushed him to the vet. In the chaos, she didn’t get the name or contact information of the other dog owner, who grabbed her own dog and pulled it away after the attack, she said.
Parlow’s vet stabilized Champ, but he needed further treatment at an emergency vet, she said.
It quickly became obvious he wasn’t going to make it, Parlow said, and she made the decision to put him down.
“It was a terrible decision to have to make.”
Parlow had Champ on a leash, but the other dog, which looked to her like a poodle mix and was the size of a standard poodle, was unleashed, contrary to regulations.
Much of Greater Victoria’s coastline is part of the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, where dogs and cats are prohibited from running at large below the high-tide line.
Home to about 270 species of seabirds, waterbirds and shorebirds, the sanctuary covers 30 kilometres of coastline from Portage Inlet to Cadboro Bay.
The coastline is an important roosting and overwintering site for many migratory bird species, including several species at risk, according to Environment Canada.
Despite the rules, many dog owners let their pets run unleashed on Willows Beach and other beaches, said Jacques Sirois, chair of the Friends of the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
Enforcement is rare, particularly on Willows Beach, where he’s been told officials with Environment and Climate Change Canada do enforcement patrols a few days a month, Sirois said.
“I wish we had more enforcement at Willows Beach. I see dogs off leash there all the time.”
Those found violating the rules can face a significant fine. A dog owner whose unleashed dog was seen chasing a great blue heron at Cadboro Bay Beach in August 2022 was issued two fines totalling $500 for violating leash rules in the sanctuary.
In that case, a bylaw officer from the Capital Regional District issued a $100 fine, and then contacted a wildlife officer with Environment and Climate Change Canada, who issued a $400 fine.
Parlow is hoping the owner of the dog that attacked Champ comes forward.
“I would like to make sure that her dog is not in a position or able to hurt another dog or child,” she said.
regan-elliott@timescolonist.com