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ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
Charges may be laid in relation to a dog attack in Fort Liard that left one woman with injuries.

The attack happened in the mid-afternoon on Nov. 10 on the road that runs along the side of the airport farthest from the community, said Cpl. Monica Schimanke of the Fort Liard RCMP detachment.

The exact details of the incident are still being established, Schimanke said. Apparently, the woman, a nurse at the Fort Liard Health Centre, was attacked by at least two dogs who were walking off-leash with two women, reportedly. The ownership of the dogs is unclear.

The nurse was bitten and she fell to the ground where she suffered further bites.

"She had quite extensive injuries," said Schimanke.

The attack left the woman with a large wound on her right forearm and wounds on her legs and her scalp. She was medevaced out of the community and taken to Edmonton for treatment.

"I think it would be somewhat of a traumatic incident to be involved in," Schimanke said.

The outcome of the investigation will determine whether charges are laid, she said. The dog that was the main aggressor in the incident has been identified and, following the advice of a veterinarian from Yellowknife, the animal is being quarantined by its owner for 10 days to rule out rabies.

"The owner has been co-operative in that sense," she said.

The dog, which is described as being fairly large, will likely be destroyed following the quarantine period. It's common sense that you don't want an aggressive dog like that in the community, Schimanke said.

"It's not something we want to have to deal with again."

The incident has highlighted the need for responsible dog ownership, said Schimanke.

Dogs must be tied up or penned and kept well fed. Aggressive dogs should be kept on leashes, she said.

Schimanke organized a meeting with Chief Harry Deneron of Acho Dene Koe First Nation on Nov. 16 to discuss developing a dog bylaw in the community.

The hamlet does have a dog bylaw but it's outdated and can't be enforced, said Morris McLeod, the mayor of the Hamlet of Fort Liard.

McLeod said the issue will be brought forward at the next hamlet council meeting and the council will look at developing a new dog bylaw.

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