An 82-year-old North Bay man is still recovering from a bizarre dog attack that he still cannot believe took place.
The North Bay Police say two local dog owners have been charged with "Owner Fail to Prevent Dog from Attacking" under the Dog Owner's Liability Act in connection with the incident that took place outside Pharmasave on Algonquin Avenue around 5 p.m. on April 29.
The victim says it all happened when he simply tried to go up the stairs outside the pharmacy on his way to pick up some medication.
"There were two people, one on each side, and they each had a dog, so I just walked up the stairs," he said.
"Well, I didn't get to the stairs. The two dogs jumped on me, took me to the ground, and started biting my head, my arm, and my legs. It was ridiculous," he recalls.
"I am 82 years old, so I am not the most spry guy in the world, but it was unbelievable."
He says the two dogs, who were on extended leashes, were medium-sized terrier dogs. He claims the woman and man who had the dogs showed very little remorse for the dog attacks.
"The guy said 'sorry about that' and just walked away and left me lying there," he said.
So the man says he got up and tried to chase after them and was able to take a photo of both the dog owners. In one photo, the female dog owner with coloured hair smirked and stuck her tongue out.
"The dogs tore my jeans," he said.
"I've got blood on my pants, and they just kept walking. Somehow, I had the presence of mind to take a photograph."
The elderly man says that when he got home, he called the North Bay Police and BayToday for help,
At home, he realized he had a deep bite mark near his waist. For fear of contracting rabies, the man contacted the Ministry of Natural Resources and the North Bay & Parry Sound District Health Unit. A man and a woman were later identified by police and charged,
The Health Unit told him to monitor his health and if he finds out the dogs have died within a 10-day window since the attack, then he should get rabies shots.
The owners of the dogs and the victim are not known to each other.
The North Bay Police say the dog owners will have to appear in court at a later date.
“Under the Dog Owner’s Liability Act, dog owners have a legal responsibility to exercise reasonable precautions to prevent the dog from attacking or biting a person or other domestic animal,” said Inspector of Operations Jeff Warner “The owners can be held accountable with fines upwards of $10,000, jail time or both, depending on the extent of any injuries caused.
"They may also face civil litigation from the injured party. City of North Bay by-laws also prohibit people from permitting dogs to run at large. Dog owners are reminded that the injuries caused by a sudden attack can be severe and result in lifelong trauma for the victim. Dogs should be kept under control at all times”