Constance Bay woman traumatized after dog attack

A Constance Bay woman and her dog were seriously injured after another dog attacked them while on a walk. CTV’s Natalie Van Rooy reports.

A warning that the details and images in this story are graphic.

Tracey Briscoe and her dog are recovering from serious injuries after a disturbing dog attack in Constance Bay.

Briscoe says the attack was traumatizing and at one point she thought her dog would be killed right in front of her eyes. The incident happened on Monday, with first responders rushing to the scene after the attack took place. Ottawa Bylaw are still investigating.

“I honestly thought I was witnessing the death of my dog, the murder of my dog,” said Briscoe, who says a pit bull attacked both her and her dog.

Briscoe was out for a routine walk with her 12-year-old dog Mic and two friends on Monday when she says a pit bull started running towards them from a nearby house. She scooped her dog up and then the pit bull lunged at her and bit into her arm, sinking its teeth in and not letting go.

“I had to make that decision that this dog will take me down if I don’t release my dog and get it off of me. So, I did that and as soon as I did that, he released his grip on me and attacked my dog and he shook him like a ragdoll and then he pinned him,” she said.

Briscoe says people came running to help and punched the dog, which finally released its grip on Mic.

“I do recall yelling: ‘I’ve been bit, I’m bleeding, and I need an ambulance’,” said Briscoe. “Then we just ran off and all I knew was we needed to get somewhere safe because I wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to continue restraining the dog because it was a beast.”

“We just ran for help because my friend Tracy was bleeding a lot and same with Mic,” said Corri Buck, Briscoe’s friend who witnessed the attack.

Briscoe’s friend called 9-1-1 and officers helped her apply a tourniquet to prevent more blood loss. She was transported to hospital by paramedics with non-life-threatening injuries.

Briscoe has serious injuries to her arm from the attack and will need surgery.

“It was horrible, I can’t even look at my wound because I think I’ll faint,” said Briscoe. “I have no idea how severe it is. I do know it’s severe, but I can’t look at it at this point.”

The City of Ottawa’s By-law and Regulatory Services are investigating and did not provide comment to CTV News.

Mic had emergency surgery this week and still has stitches and noticeable injuries from the attack.

Briscoe says she has no idea where the pit bull is now and what is happening with the owner.

“We don’t know where the dog went. We haven’t really had time to really process what happened. I think we’re all very traumatized. There’s a little bit, well, maybe a lot of PTSD.”

Briscoe is hoping the owner comes forward to apologize and offers to pay for the vet bills, which are already more than $2,500.

“He has bite marks under his neck and he’s got a bite mark just above his eye. His ear was ripped, he’s got stitches on his ear as well. One of the main wounds is a three-inch-deep wound,” said Briscoe.

She says her and her friends are all still traumatized and they are making a plea with the residents of Constance Bay to be responsible dog owners.