Woman shaken after 90 pounds of untethered ‘pure muscle’ attacks her dog while owners watch

Suzanne Pothe’s heart skipped a beat Monday morning when she saw an uncontrolled, “90-pound dog that was pure muscle” bounding toward her German shepherd Sophie, sparking a frightening attack that has left her shaken.

The Fort Richmond resident was walking Sophie southbound on Dalhousie Drive when she noticed what looked like a Rottweiler-mix “dragging its leash along the ground” on the other side of the roadway.

The animal’s owners, a couple, were nearby, she said.

“I was already tensing up because I knew something could happen,” Pothe said.

“The dog made eye contact with my dog from across the street and the couple continued to walk. They didn’t realize the situation that was going to evolve.”

What happened next is somewhat of a blur, she said, describing how she threw herself in front of Sophie to protect her dog.

“Just in that moment, that’s when the dog came and fully attacked my dog,” she said. “This dog was relentless, it would not stop attacking my animal. I became hysterical because I didn’t know what to do. I was screaming at (one of the dog owners) to control her dog but it almost seemed as though she was afraid.”

The attack persisted for roughly a minute before the dogs separated and the couple left with their dog.

Sophie was unharmed, but Pothe suffered some minor bruising as a result, she said.

She did not exchange information with the couple and has not reported the incident to Winnipeg’s Animal Services Agency, but she is using the incident to tell owners they need to be in control and aware of other dogs.

The incident highlights a citywide issue of irresponsible dog ownership, with dozens of similar cases being reported annually, data from the City of Winnipeg shows.

Since 2020, Animal Services has issued more than 200 tickets against owners who failed to prevent their dog (or in some cases, cat) from injuring another person or animal — including 13 tickets this year to date.

Within the same time frame, 215 people have been fined for allowing their dogs to run at large. Another 92 dog owners have been fined for allowing their pets to pursue people or animals, data shows.

Altogether, the tickets account for an estimated $133,150 in fines.

D’Arcy Johnston, founder of D’Arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre, said dog attacks are common but seldom grab public attention unless there are serious injuries or a child is involved.

“Whenever you hear a story about somebody getting injured, or a dog, there’s usually a human behind all of this and you don’t understand why they are not taking that responsibility or feeling responsibility for what happened.”– D’Arcy Johnston

“Reporters don’t want to report that we don’t have an animal problem, we have a human problem,” Johnston told the Free Press.

“Whenever you hear a story about somebody getting injured, or a dog, there’s usually a human behind all of this and you don’t understand why they are not taking that responsibility or feeling responsibility for what happened.”

Under the city’s Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw, dogs that bite people are to be held in quarantine by Animal Services or a veterinary clinic for a minimum of 10 days. A provincial judge may issue an order to seize the animal if the owner does not surrender it voluntarily.

In most cases, the animal is returned to its owner after the quarantine period has expired if the animal appears in good health, the city says, but repeated attacks might lead to stricter punishments.

“It becomes the responsibility of the owner, 100 per cent, to keep their animals under control. Anything can happen,” Johnston said.

“People don’t realize when you’re walking a dog they do have to be on a leash, as per the bylaw in the city, and the leash can only be six feet long, so people with extendable leashes are also part of the problem,” Johnston said.

Animal Services may deem an animal “at risk” and an owner “irresponsible” if their dog has been caught running at large or pursuing another person or animal more than twice, the city says.

The classification is similarly applied to owners whose dogs have attacked more than once.

“Dog owners are reminded that they are responsible for the actions of their pets. The full responsibilities for pet owners can be found by reviewing (city bylaws). This includes proactively preventing dogs from running at large,” city spokesperson Adam Campbell said in an email statement.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca