The owners of a dog that attacked a visitor's Labrador retriever are making amends for their rescue dog's outburst.
The Ucluelet RCMP were contacted more than once by the owner, said Lori Kininmont (Atfield) of Richmond, whose dog sustained wounds to his chest in the August attack.
"He felt terrible about the altercation and that Loki was injured so badly. He expressed his wish to contact us and make things right and to tell us about his dog," Lori said.
The dog's owners have paid the lab's vet bills of over $800. Surgery was required to repair damaged tissues in his chest.
Const. Jeff Swan put the two dogs' families in touch, Lori said.
"We had a very good conversation and expressed our extreme appreciation that the owner(s) came forward and that we were able to share our stories.
"This couple has had the 'rescue' dog for 2 years and have worked very diligently to rehabilitate some bad behavior that he quite logically developed as a young dog, chained to a tree for weeks and exposed to the feral dogs that regularly attacked him. No wonder he was threatened by our large puppy," she said. After talking with the errant dog's owners, the Atfields believe they are responsible and loving.
"They have registered their dog at a dog-training facility for 'troubled' dogs in September to further rehabilitate their dog," she said.
"Choking back tears, the owner told us that if this 'boot camp' training doesn't work...there is no other alternative. All of us knew what that means for the dog, their family member. I sincerely hope that the outcome for him will be a good one," she said.
Meanwhile, Loki the chocolate lab is on the mend.