A woman in British Columbia is keeping her Labrador retriever named Buddy on a tight leash after a senior used bear spray on the dog.

Liz Lyle-Mattson says she was walking with Buddy off-leash in a popular trail near Comox, B.C. last week when an older couple began berating her for not having her dog on a leash.

“He basically lunged at my dog and shot my dog right in the face with the bear spray,” she told CTV Vancouver.

“I was pretty upset because I thought it was an unwarranted attack on my dog, who I love.”

Lyle-Mattson said Buddy suffered burning in his eyes and couldn’t open them until the next the day.

She says she told the RCMP about the incident, who then told her the while the park’s bylaws require a leash, the bear spray attack was likely an overreaction to the situation.

Lyle-Mattson says the majority of dogs coming to this particular trail do not use a leash.

CTV Vancouver Island spoke with multiple people along the trail who’ve indicated they had a prior interaction with an older English couple as well.

The town of Comox is currently considering designating a specific off-leash area for dogs and their owners.

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Gord Kurbis