Police are investigating after an 83-year-old woman died after a three-dog attack in northwest Calgary.
Paramedics responded around 2 p.m. in the Capitol Hill area on Block 1 of 21 Avenue NW
The senior was found with serious and life-threatening injuries. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Police say the woman was in a back alley working in the garden when a neighbor’s dogs escaped from her yard and attacked her.
According to police, depending on the outcome of the investigation, criminal charges or fines could be filed while the dogs could be slaughtered. Officers are not revealing what breed the dogs are.
‘THE BEST PERSON’
A neighbor, who was uncomfortable identifying himself with CTV News Calgary, helped his neighbor Betty when she was injured.
CTV News has agreed to identify him as ‘Lane’, who says that Betty, known as ‘Rusty’ or ‘Red’ for all the neighbors, loved working in her yard.
“She was a young lady, a big neighbor, cheerful, constantly out of the garden, pruning hedges,” Lane said.
“The best person you can hope to have for a neighbor.”
Lane’s wife heard a commotion in the alley with several dogs and went to see what had happened.
Lane then jumped up and saw that two of the three dogs identified by police were being thrown back into the neighbor’s yard.
“A little frustrated at not being able to get there a minute or two before,” Lane said.
“The consolation I can take is that I was there with her and she wasn’t alone.”
An elderly Calgary woman was working in the backyard when she was attacked by three dogs Sunday afternoon (CTV News Calgary / Tyson Fedor).
Lane says he and the owner of the dog, who lives next door to Betty, tried to save her.
“He took out towels and helped me hold Rusty while we waited for the EMS.”
Family friends of the victim, who did not want to speak in front of the camera with CTV News, say he was a private person and was going to the hospital in an ambulance when he succumbed to his injuries.
CTV News tried to talk to the dog owner.