A British Columbia man who was viciously attacked by a stranger’s dogs inside his home on Christmas Day remains in intensive care, and is in danger of losing one of his arms.
Robin Elgie, 66, is being treated at an Edmonton hospital. His hands and arms were heavily bandaged Thursday as he described the injuries.
“They’ll probably never be the same,” he told CTV News.
Elgie now requires skin grafts. A family friend, Kim Babcock, told The Canadian Press he’s in danger of losing his left arm. Elgie also suffered bites to his neck, legs and stomach.
Elgie and his wife Wendy Lee Baker had been at their home in Fort St. John, in northeastern B.C., when two dogs chased their cat Kenney inside.
The dogs killed the cat, then attacked Baker, severely biting her. Elgie tried to intervene and the dogs went for his neck.
“I’ve never see anything like that in my life,” Elgie told CTV News. “It was basically a fight for your life. If it had been a woman with small children they just wouldn’t have survived it.”
During the struggle, Baker managed to call 911.
RCMP officers arrived at the home and were forced to shoot the dogs, killing one and injuring the other, which escaped but was later captured and destroyed.
“These dogs were brutally attacking the man and they had no other alternative than to use lethal force,” said Cpl. Dave Tyreman.
Elgie said the police likely saved his life.
“I don’t think I would have lasted too much longer if they hadn’t got there when they did,” he said.
Elgie had never seen the dogs before. Now police are trying to track down the owner.
“If somebody was intentionally negligent in this case, then charges could go forward,” said Tyreman.
Babcock has started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the couple’s damaged home. It has already exceeded its goal of raising $10,000.
With a report from CTV Edmonton and files from The Canadian Press
