Puppy killed, girl wounded after dog attack at Toronto park

Puppy killed, child injured in park dog attack A family is speaking out after their daughter was attacked and their eight-week-old puppy killed in an apparent dog attack in North York.

A Toronto couple is looking for answers after an apparent dog attack left their eight-week-old puppy dead and their daughter in need of stitches.

Lana Novikova said she was out for a walk with her puppy “Cleo,” her boyfriend, her 12-year-old daughter, and their five-year-old cockapoo named Cooper at Serena Gundy Park on Wednesday evening.

She said she ran to Cooper’s aid when a large white dog became aggressive with Cooper.

“I hovered over Cooper to protect him. I checked to make sure he was okay and checked for blood. I was screaming,” Novikova told CTV Toronto on Thursday.

She said a man and woman who appeared to own the other dog refused to put it on a leash. That’s when the white dog allegedly went after the puppy in her daughter’s arms.

“All I remember is that I had it, and then I didn’t,” the daughter said. “I saw the puppy was on the ground and it looked like a chew toy to the other dog, who was shaking it.”

Novikova said her boyfriend managed to intervene and grab the puppy away from the other dog.

Her daughter suffered a deep gash to her left arm that required five stitches.

Novikova said she tended to the wounded puppy, but it quickly became apparent its injuries were serious.

“I gave mouth-to-mouth to the puppy and blood came out of her nose,” she said. “I realized her neck was broken at that point.”

Novikova said a neighbour called police, and the people who appeared to own the white dog began to leave the park.

The park has rules telling owners to keep dogs on-leash. Animal Services said they are looking into the incident.

The family posted a photo of the apparent owners to Facebook with a warning to other local dog owners.

Rozeena Khote responded to the post, saying she believes her dog was attacked by the same white dog at another park about a kilometre away.

“The dog lunged out from under the bench, latched himself onto my dog’s left back leg and wouldn’t let go,” she said.

Both Khote and Novikova said they are shaken by their respective encounters, and want authorities to take action against the white dog’s owners.

With a report from CTV Toronto’s Tracy Tong