Timba the Australian cattle dog mix remains in high spirits despite a life-altering accident that left her without a leg a little more than two weeks ago. Owner Kari Wilson says the two were out for a walk in their south Edmonton neighbourhood when Timba was struck by a personal e-scooter. The impact shattered her front right leg. “I could tell it was bad pretty much right away, just by the way her paw was dangling. She looked really desperate to get into my lap. She was whining and crying,” Wilson recalled. “The kid who did it just kind of ran away, and we took her to the emergency vet.” Wilson said the e-scooter appeared to be a personal one being driven on the sidewalk. Personal e-scooters are prohibited in municipalities under the provincial Traffic Safety Act. Most private electric mobile options that use one wheel are not allowed on Edmonton public roads, bike lanes or sidewalks. The exception is city-owned rentals. Timba, a four-year-old rescue, was eager to get back on her feet, Wilson said. “She loves hiking. She loves walking. She loves playing. She’s very energetic, very sweet,” she said. “The day after, she was ready to get back to it. She’s jumping all over the place. She’s back to her usual self.” Park Veterinary Clinic veterinarian Tara Zacahr says after some training, many dogs can learn to live with just three legs. “The big thing is getting used to appropriating that weight over the remaining leg,” she told CTV News Edmonton. “They (can) get around magnificently, they can get around like there’s no change.” But Wilson says Timba should have never had to learn, and hopes the city cracks down on personal micromobility options before someone else, or their pet, is hurt. “He did say sorry, he seemed scared, which I can kind of empathize with. I mean, it sucked. I was left with a lot of medical bills. I am very lucky that my friend started a fundraiser for me,” Wilson said. “I have never really liked those scooters, because they’re always flying by me on the sidewalk. I … am pretty upset about it. Pretty frustrated. I don’t think anybody realizes that they’re illegal on sidewalks, and it would be nice to see some more enforcement on that.” Since 2021, Edmonton police say there have been 18 major injury collisions on e-scooters. Three of those crashes were fatal. Most of those crashes, including all of the deaths, involved a personal scooter as opposed to a public shared machine. The province had previously said it was working on a framework that would enable municipalities to allow and enforce micromobility devices like e-scooters on their own. No fines were issued for illegal e-scooters last year, as city officials told CTV News Edmonton they preferred education over enforcement. Electronic scooter enforcement also falls on the discretion of an officer in the right place at the right time. Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) President Dylan Bressey said municipalities would have to “ticket somebody every single time they’re on a scooter or a micromobility device” if they were to enforce the Traffic Safety Act. “That’s just not a realistic enforcement action to take.” ABmunis, which speaks for some 264 municipalities in the province, previously told CTV News it hoped to see legislation proposals as soon as the fall. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug and Alex Antoneshyn
