For all you dog owners, the lesson of this story is, never introduce a few treats to a pack of dogs. Rarely does anything good come of this. Just ask 11 year-old Sheltie, Sean, and his master Sandra Gracie, a resident of Steveston.
On Tuesday morning, Gracie and Sean were walking along the Steveston boardwalk like any other day and a group of dogs (all on their leash, according to Gracie) converged on one another. In a split moment, Sean was under attack by a dog believed to be a Husky-cross as a scuffle ensued over some treats. It happened in a flash, and Gracie isn't sure who introduced the treats, but, when all the masters gained control of their dogs, Sean was left with several puncture wounds, including one near his carotid artery.
Now, the reason we can still speak of Sean in the present is because of the quick actions of Gracie's friend, Kenn Smith, and the fact veterinarian Dr. Joseph Martinez happened to be walking by.
"It happened just as I was there," said Martinez, who gained local hero status in 2010 for saving University of Victoria bunnies from being euthanized. Smith carries a small First-Aid kit wherever he goes and Martinez is trained in emergency procedures on dogs.
Martinez ran over to Sean and immediately applied pressure on his wounds. Then, with the help of the Husky's owner, Sean was carried over to Martinez's Little Paws Animal Clinic on Second Avenue where he underwent a 30-minute procedure that resulted in a shaved neck and a bandaged leg.
The next day, Sean was in good spirits.
"Nobody's going to bring him cookies anymore, that's for sure," chuckled Gracie.
"I'm so lucky to have Dr.Martinez. Had I been there by myself, we wouldn't have gotten (Sean) here as well as we did," said Gracie.
Martinez says people need to remember dogs have pack mentalities and introducing treats in a large group of dogs who are unfamiliar with one another can have consequences like this event.
Gracie said the Husky's owner was very apologetic and paid for the surgery.
"The people who helped were absolutely wonderful," she said.
