dog attack toronto

Toronto woman searches for owners of dog that attacked her and left her corgi injured

A Toronto woman is searching for the owners of a large dog that attacked both her and her dog, Yoda, in the west end this week.

Shawna Smith says she and her boyfriend went out for a walk with Yoda in the Humber Bay area after midnight on Feb. 8. They were just east of the Humber Bay bridge, near Lake Shore Boulevard and Windermere Avenue when they spotted two large black dogs around 800 metres away.

"And then one of the dogs just started running after us and was off leash," Smith says.

At first, Yoda thought the big dog was coming to play and he started to wag his tail but that quickly changed.

"As soon as the dog came up to us, he started biting Yoda."

Smith grabbed Yoda by the harness to pull him away and the black dog bit her on the face and arm. While this was happening, her boyfriend was trying to pull the dog away. The apparent owners of the black dogs didn't make a move toward them or help out in any way, she says.

"They didn't even try to come towards us, they didn't try to retrieve their dog. So the attack went on for like three to five minutes," she says.

When her boyfriend was finally able to get the dog away, they had to return the dog to the owners. The man said sorry but didn't offer to help them out in any way, nor did he take responsibility for the attack.

He simply said: "This is what happens when you go to parks."

The couple had started filming the incident at which point, Smith says, the woman threatened to release their other dog on them.

"She just really didn't want us videotaping — she didn't want to be identified."

At that point, Smith and her boyfriend left calling 911. Police and ambulance came, but unfortunately, police weren't able to find the dog's owners.

Toronto Police confirmed to blogTO that they did investigate and determined it was not a criminal matter. Police have referred the case to Toronto Animal Services, which can deem dogs dangerous and require them to be leashed and muzzled at all times.

Smith had to get stitches in her face and some dental work because the dog's head hit her teeth. Yoda had minor laceration puncture wounds to a back leg and was left terrified.

Smith says they will recover but really wants to identify the people so someone else isn't more seriously hurt.

"If I was there alone, and my boyfriend wasn't there, I'm convinced that Yoda would be dead and that my injuries would be much more extreme."

She wants the owners to take responsibility and keep their dog on a leash, particularly because they have a reactive dog.

They didn't seem to care about the attack at all.

"The fact that they didn't even want to give their contact information or help us out was just really disheartening," she said. "I just want these people to hopefully be identified and held accountable."

Lead photo by

Shawna Smith


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Ontario to start discouraging employers from asking for doctors' notes to prove illness

Secret walled-off staircase is all that remains of long-lost Toronto train station

Toronto's most cursed intersection appears to finally finish years-long construction

Ontario temperatures about to spike and it will feel like 30 degrees this weekend

Shocking video shows another brazen robbery at Toronto jewellery store

Ontario is about to change the speed limits on some major highways

Self-replicating predatory 'water fleas' are taking over Ontario lakes

TTC will shut down a large stretch of subway this weekend