2nd dog attack in 4 years prompts woman in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., to call for action

A recent dog attack in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., has one woman calling for action.

Linda Hanna was walking her grandson's dog, Boots, in the community on Good Friday when they were both attacked by another dog. The attack left injuries on Hanna's leg and ended up being fatal for 10-year-old Boots.

"It's bullshit. Nobody is doing nothing, everybody is so scared and now my little dog had to pay for it," Hanna told the CBC. 

Hanna doesn't know if the incident will leave her with permanent physical scars, but the emotional scars are already starting to show. When Hanna looks around her home, she sees reminders of Boots all over the house, and when she goes to bed at night, she wakes up screaming with flashbacks from the incident.

"It's awful. I'm waking up yelling for my little dog, I'm crying every time someone asks how's my little fur ball," Hanna said.

This was not the first time Hanna was attacked by a dog in Fort Simpson. In 2019, a dog attack left Hanna with scars on her face and hands. 

"If he would have gotten my jugular I wouldn't be here," Hanna said. 

The dog from the initial attack still roams the streets, Hanna said, while the dog from the most recent attack is currently impounded — its fate yet to be determined.

Supports available

While Hanna is calling for change in Fort Simpson, the issue of loose, stray or abandoned dogs is a problem that has persisted across the Northwest Territories for decades.

Posts from community Facebook pages tell tales of recent dog attacks on other dogs and people in Edzo and Fort Providence in the last month, while the mayor of Inuvik made a plea earlier this year for pet owners to take more responsibility after two loose dogs were killed by a vehicle.  

Some communities rely on dog culls, while other communities had grassroots initiatives where people send stray and abandoned dogs to the SPCA in Yellowknife.

In Fort McPherson, there is a permanent committee with two volunteers that help organize vaccinations, vet clinics and help care for stray or surrendered dogs.

Carol McCormack is one of the volunteers that joined the Fort McPherson Dog Care committee about a decade ago.

The committee used to focus on getting dogs to the SPCA in Yellowknife, but since intake has slowed down due to the shelters in the south being overwhelmed and in crisis, they've shifted focus to supporting pet owners in the community.

"Big picture is that we want people to be able to take care of the animals that they love. And we don't want them to have to surrender a dog because they can't afford it," McCormack said. 

The committee relies on fundraising from community bingos, which is used to purchase supplies for pet owners such as dog food, collars, tie outs and straw for dogs in the winter. 

The committee also organizes visiting vet clinics. A clinic earlier this month was the busiest yet, with 24 dogs spayed or neutered. 

In communities without a similar organization, McCormack encourages "like-minded people" to get together, ask the community what they need and reach out to existing organizations, such as Vets Without Borders, which offers veterinary care to remote communities. 

Another organization offering support to First Nation communities is Save Rez Dogs, an Indigenous based grassroots initiative out of Saskatchewan. The organization advocates for cultural awareness, responsible pet owners and ethically-enforced bylaws. 

Raising money through crowdfunding and selling merchandise, Save Rez Dogs offers resources and support for communities looking to develop their own dog management plans. 

Bylaws only helpful if people listen, mayor says

In Fort Simpson, Mayor Sean Whelly said bylaws exist to deal with loose dogs but it can be hard to prevent these kinds of incidents if "people aren't doing what they are supposed to do."

"Our bylaws are there to protect but only if people follow them," Whelly said.

The village's 11-page Dog Bylaw outlines provision of needs, what defines a vicious dog and penalties for breaking the bylaw.

If someone is convicted of owning a vicious dog which is found to be running at large, the owner could be subject to a maximum fine of $2,000 or up to six months imprisonment.

"We had a close call, really for Linda [Hanna] it was bad … so I want to be protective and doing what we can to get people doing the right things with their dogs and if we have to, we'll use our bylaws and bylaw enforcement to make sure that people are doing the right things," Whelly said.

'I need something done'

The physical healing process is slow as Hanna's leg and ankle have significant bruising and the bandages need to be changed daily. She estimated six stitches have already been removed from her leg, unsure of how many are left.

Reflecting on everything that has happened, Hanna is upset at the animals and the owners.

"The people that own that dog, they shouldn't even have a dog like that, they're careless," she said.

Last week, she was going to burn her clothes from the attack because they were full of blood. This week she hopes for news about action the village will take.

"I need something done."