The story of a family dog believed to have been mauled by a raccoon in a Trail park earlier this week has ended in a very surprising 鈥� but nonetheless happy 鈥� ending.
Lucy, a 10-year old Shih Tzu, was found alive by a Good Samaritan on Thursday and taken to the West Kootenay BC SPCA for treatment, John Craig confirmed to the Trail Times early Saturday.
The Craigs picked her up from a veterinarian office in Castlegar Friday night and Lucy is now home recovering.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not out of the woods yet,鈥� said John. 鈥淪he鈥檚 really torn up, but she鈥檚 alive.鈥�
Lucy鈥檚 ordeal all began early Thursday morning. She was on her usual morning trek along a pathway between Gyro Park and the Trail bridge, with David Craig, John鈥檚 brother, and Django, the family鈥檚 lab.
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Django ran off the trail about eight feet, David told the Times that morning, and began barking. Lucy followed the bigger dog into the tall grass and could not retreat quickly, like Django could, when the pair ran into three raccoons.
When David went into the marshy area to see what was going on, he recalled seeing Lucy being mauled by the wild animals.
Shaken, and unable to retrieve Lucy from the pack, he grabbed Django and headed back home to tell the family what had happened.
It wasn鈥檛 until later they found out Lucy somehow managed to survive the attack and someone, unknown at this point, found the little dog and took her for medical care.
鈥淭hey put her on an IV and there鈥檚 lot鈥檚 of pain management, stitches and swelling,鈥� John said. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 still a chance she could get a serious infection, so she鈥檚 also on antibiotics. But she鈥檚 happy, and she鈥檚 happy to be back home.鈥�
Lucy鈥檚 tale serves a warning to anyone walking their dogs in Gyro Park this summer to keep their dogs on-leash.
鈥淚 got hold of the City of Trail and they will be posting signage regarding the aggressive raccoons in Gyro Park, so that dog walkers can be aware of the situation,鈥� said Kyle Bueckert, Conservation Officer in the West Kootenay Zone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 advised that dog walkers in Gyro Park keep their dogs on leash while walking them (anywhere) in Gyro Park, especially for the foreseeable future as those raccoons will likely still be in the park.鈥�
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