Couple and their beagle escape bloody dog attack

The couple was badly bitten while trying to feed the two Akita dogs, who were being kept in the garage adjacent to their rental suite at a house southwest of Didsbury.

The female Akita had had puppies four days earlier.

"It looked like a murder scene," said Mountainview County Protective Services officer Amanda Stuhl, adding that she had never seen such severe injuries in an animal attack incident.

The attack began while the 27-year-old male victim was tending to the dogs. As his 28-year-old girlfriend entered the garage with her beagle, the female Akita immediately mauled her and her dog.

The male Akita joined in the attack and turned on the man, police said.   "All three were bleeding badly from their wounds and had to fight their way out of the garage and shut the door on the dogs to keep them inside," police said in a release.

The couple had left their cellphones inside the garage, but neighbours overheard the commotion and called 911, police said.

The victims were taken to Didsbury for medical attention and released the next morning. The man and woman suffered bites and tear wounds to their chests, forearms, hands, and thighs, police said.

"It looks like someone took an ice cream scoop to her, there are huge chunks of flesh missing," said Terry Stewart, the father of the injured woman.

"It's going to take a long time for the physical and emotional wounds to heal."

The beagle sustained bites and tears to its entire back.

Officers from Mountainview County Protective Services have laid charges against Andrea Strang, 34, the owner of the Akitas, under bylaws governing dangerous dogs.

Strang has been cooperative and has offered to "do anything to rectify situation," said Stuhl.

Her first court appearance has been set for Sept 2.

The maximum penalty is $10,000 or six months in jail.

The dogs are being held in Calgary for a 10-day quarantine to check for rabies. Strang has tentatively agreed they should be euthanized after that.