Dog attacked, seriously injured by another dog on Eagle Crest trail

'I was ill-prepared for the situation,' owner says; report filed with DCSO

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Rob Husband still hasn’t found the owners of a dog responsible for attacking and leaving his dog, Nala, seriously injured and in stitches over the weekend on the Cascade trail at Eagle Crest Resort.

Husband told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday a couple with two dogs were coming his way, so he stood aside and made his dog sit and wait while the couple passed by.

He said one of the couple’s unleashed dogs, which he believes was a chow chow, then charged at his dog.

“The next thing I saw was my dog upside down, with this dog on its throat,” Husband said.

He said he watched the dog attack Nala as he and the owner of the other dogs were unable to do anything.

“What was running through my mind was, I was ill-prepared for the situation. I wish I would have had a stick in my hand or pepper spray, something to control the situation,” Husband said.

He said he did repeatedly kick the dog, trying to make it release Nala’s throat.

Nala had to be taken to the 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic in Bend. The lower neck to the base of her chest was torn open.

It took about nine hours after the attack for Nala to be discharged from veterinary. Her expected recovery time is about 1-2 months.

Deschutes County Animal Control has this information online: https://sheriff.deschutes.org/community/animal-control/

In Bend, for example, a citation can be issued with a potential penalty of up to $275 for having a dog off -leash in undesignated areas.

Unless the dog is on its own property, has permission to someone else's property, or is at a designated off-leash area, a dog has to be on a leash at all times.

The owners of the dog that attacked Nala have not been identified. If anyone has information on the attack, Husband has filed an incident report with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

“I just feel that it is the owner's responsibility," he said. "You know, if they have a dog that does attack, it shouldn’t be out in the public.”

Husband said he hopes his dog has a speedy recovery and that no one else has to go through an experience like this.

“I just want a good recovery, and I hope my dog comes back the same dog as she once was,” he said.