A father is being credited with saving his young daughter's life by stepping between her and their violent, 170-pound family pet.
The family lives on Dave Road in the rural area off Blackwater Road, southwest of College Heights. About six weeks ago they adopted a rescued St. Bernard (its origins were not disclosed except to say it was not from the SPCA), and according to Prince George RCMP, the family hadn't had trouble with the dog until Monday evening when it turned aggressive.
"The nine-year-old was in the yard with the dog when it attacked her," said police spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
The father heard the screams and ran to assist, becoming the focus of the dog's attack.
"The father took the brunt of it when he intervened, thus saving the child, but the child was also bitten," said Douglass. "Most of the bites were to arms and legs. The father had one bite that went all the way through his hand."
The wounded pair managed to get away long enough to make it inside their house and phone police and ambulance.
Two RCMP members arrived first and encountered the 170-lbs dog. It was covered in blood and came at them "with a high level of aggression."
Meanwhile, the father was losing a large quantity of blood and was likely going into shock.
"The officers attempted to use a police vehicle as a shield to get into the residence, but were again met with aggression from the dog," said Douglass. "Fearing for the safety of the two injured and knowing the BC Ambulance Service was approaching, the officers were forced to put the animal down as it once again came at them."
The girl and her 39-year-old father were hospitalized and were recovering at home on Tuesday.
There are no plans to investigate further or test the dog for illness.
