A Lynn Valley father is warning his neighbours to be on the lookout after his daughter was bit by an off-leash dog and left to fend for herself.
The incident happened last Thursday evening (Jan. 2) as 15-year-old Sabrina Lupis was walking up Institute Road next to Lynn Valley Park.
"A couple came off the field with their pit bull, not leashed, hoping it was just going to run to their car and it ran right across the street and attacked my daughter," said Mike Lupis.
According to Lupis, the owners called off the dog, apologized to Sabrina and recommended that she get help, but then left her at the park's edge.
"She was in shock and she was crying and they just left her. They didn't call us. They didn't do anything. They knew they were in trouble and they bailed," Lupis said.
Sabrina hobbled back to a friend's house and called for help.
The bite left puncture wounds and bruising, which she was promptly treated for.
Lupis contacted North Vancouver RC MP who have opened a file on the matter, but referred him to the District of North Vancouver, as dog bites are an animal control issue, not a criminal matter.
A statement from the district confirms animal welfare officers are looking into the case, but with no names or contact information for the dog's owners, they are left to keep an eye out. Dogs are not allowed in Lynn Valley Park as it is mainly a sports field.
Lupis said the dog is a mid-sized pit bull-type dog with light brown fur.
The owners, according to Sabrina's account, were a man with dark skin and a woman with a slim build and light skin, both in their mid-20s.
While the neighbours have been supportive and pledged to keep an eye out for the dog and owners, Lupis said he hopes they come forward to take responsibility.
"They should have phoned us. They should have phoned the police. They should have phoned somebody to come pick her up," he said. It's just crummy human activity."
Dogs prone to biting should be muzzled and kept in a five-sided enclosure - "four walls and a top," Lupis said.
