Kristen Bodnarchuk is on a long path to recovery after a recent trip to an off-leash dog park resulted in a badly broken ankle.
All Bodnarchuk wanted to do on the evening of May 25 was take her son and her seven-month-old golden retriever Stella for a walk and meet up with her friend Sarah, who brought her dog along, too.
She ended up in hospital for surgery with a $400 ambulance bill.
The trio with their two pets neared the end of their hour-long visit to Lacombe Lake Park close to 8 p.m. when she was bowled over by some dogs on the loose.
“All of a sudden … just boom. They hit me from behind,” said Bodnarchuk.
She fell immediately, the experience of which was not like anything she could immediately relate it to.
“It felt like … I don't even know how to describe it: they just swept my feet right out from underneath me. It felt like being hit by a truck because they were just booking it, full-out running, two big dogs,” she said, with a laugh through the pain. “It felt like getting hit by two giant dogs.”
Her ankle was fractured in two places. She knew the damage before she even hit the ground because she could hear the snap. The one bit of luck was the pair of first responders nearby who rushed to her aid. They radioed ahead to the ambulance to make sure its attendants brought a stretcher along on the call.
Bodnarchuk’s son was the only one who actually saw the dogs, one of which he described as big and tan coloured. Everybody saw the aftermath, except perhaps for the person or persons who weren't in control of the dogs on the loose, she said.
“The owners of the dog that hit us never came over to check if we, you know, if I was OK. I'm choosing to believe that they didn't see, but I do know that you're supposed to be within command range of your dog at the dog park,” she said.
"The City of St. Albert’s Animal Control Bylaw outlines the expectation for owners to keep their dogs leashed at all times within city limits, with the exception of designated off-leash areas. Even when in off-leash areas, dog owners must always maintain complete control of their dog, maintain visual contact, and stay within verbal command range," said Garnet Melnyk, peace officer program supervisor for the city, in a prepared email to The Gazette.
"Parks are shared-use areas and, if everyone takes responsibility for themselves and their pets, they can be enjoyed by everyone," said Melnyk.
According to the city's web page for dog parks and off-leash areas, owners must always maintain complete control of their pets: keeping them within sight and verbal command range. Fines under the city's animal bylaw are $130 for failure to have a dog under control in an off-leash park; $250 for allowing or permitting a dog to chase, attack, or bite another person or animal; and $500 if it results in an injury.
None of that matters much to Bodnarchuk at this point. The 45-year-old dental clinic office manager can't bear weight on that foot for six weeks. She is now working from home. She met with her surgeon again this past week. After her cast comes off, she'll likely have to wear an air-cast boot while undergoing physiotherapy to recover.
The encounter has given her pause to be more wary of her surroundings the next time she visits the off-leash park, likely in July.
"People need to watch their dogs, and be within command range of their dogs. You see lots of people who just sit on a bench and their dog just runs all over. There's been times where there's been another dog that will be aggressive towards my dog but I'm always right there and can take my dog away or pay attention or whatever. Or if it looks like my dog's going to trample someone, I would yell ‘look out.’ But nobody did any of that."
