Tragedy hits Chesterfield Inlet
Four-year-old loses life in dog attack
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
CHESTERFIELD INLET
A four-year-old girl lost her life after being mauled by a dog in Chesterfield Inlet this past Monday, June 6.
Members of the Chesterfield Inlet detachment of the RCMP responded to a call of a dog attack at about 1 p.m. on June 6.
The attack was still in progress when first responders arrived upon the scene.
The dog was hauled off the little girl, who was then transported to the local health centre with life-threatening injuries.
Kyrese Mae Kaludjak was pronounced dead upon arrival at the health centre.
The dog, an Alaskan malamute, has since been destroyed.
The attack happened just two doors down from the young girl's home, where she lived with her sister, Kaylie Anne, 6, and her parents, Peter Jr. Kattegatsiak and Kaylie Kaludjak.
Kyrese's grandfather, Noel Kaludjak, said the dog was one of five large dogs kept by the owner.
He said the dog was moved to Chester from Baker Lake about 18 months ago.
"What we've been told by a very reliable source is that the dog had bitten someone in Baker before it was moved to Chester," said Noel Kaludjak.
"That's been one of the worst things about this, knowing the dog was known to bite people before.
"What we know as fact is the dog was brought to Chester from Baker Lake and, what we're told by very reliable sources is, that it bit at least one person in Baker."
Kaludjak said the young family is devastated by the death.
He said Peter Jr. and Kaylie were happy young parents with two beautiful daughters.
"Peter is so very, very hurt, and Kyrese's mother is blaming herself for not watching her kids for every second of the day.
"She kept telling the girls to stay inside that morning and not go outside because she wasn't ready to go with them.
"But these two kids love the outdoors, playing outside and running around.
"The dog was only a couple of hundred yards from their home, and they were familiar with it because it was their friend's dog."
Noel said Kyrese was a very happy young girl and was rarely sad about anything.
He said she was one of those kids who just thoroughly enjoyed life.
"She loved people and was very outgoing.
"I had just talked to her the day before and she was her cheerful, happy self.
"She just had her fourth birthday the Tuesday before this happened (May 31), and when I called to wish her a happy birthday she couldn't even talk to me because she was so happy and excited to be having a birthday party.
"She was just such a beautiful, happy-go-lucky kid who had no clue what was about to happen.
"On behalf of our family, we'd like to thank everyone for their condolences, prayers, support and thoughtfulness," Noel Kaludjak.
"Hopefully, we'll make new laws with tougher conditions for owners of dangerous dogs now in Nunavut."
