Dog bites Seal (Victoria, BC)

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/bites+seal+Victoria/1786692/story.html
Dog bites seal in Victoria, B.C.
July 13, 2009

A seal pup was injured Sunday afternoon after being attacked by a dog near Clover Point.
The seal pup was alone near the water when a large dog that was off leash came across it, said senior animal control officer Ian Fraser.
“[The dog] grabbed hold of it, bit onto it and shook it, shook it, shook it,” he said.
The dog and its owner disappeared but witnesses called Victoria Animal Control to help the injured seal.
Fraser said the seal appeared okay at first but they discovered at least one puncture wound from which part of its intestine was poking out.
The pup was flown to the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre where it will be cared for until it is healthy enough to return to the wild.
The mother likely left the pup while it gathered food, Fraser said.
“It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure they watch their dog,” Fraser said.
He said if he is able to find the dog’s owner, the dog will be declared a dangerous dog. Animal control will also pass the information on to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans or conversation officers who could fine the owner.
It is the second time within a week a seal has been flown to the Vancouver rescue centre.
On Thursday, Saanich police said a woman picked up a seal pup she thought was abandoned and put it in her car. The pup had to be taken to the rescue centre and again her mother likely lost her baby.
Two officers from Saanich animal control took the pup and sent it to the resuce centre. It will be cared for there until it can be returned to the wild.
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