http://www.bcctv.ca/topnews.jsp?id=/news/stories/2004/03/news-20040330-11.htm

Dog Mauled
March 30, 2004

The BC Ferry Corporation is apologizing to a North Vancouver man after a horrific incident at the Departure Bay terminal. The man's dog was mauled to death by another dog on Sunday.

Bob Burrant says he lost his best friend: “Rufus" his tiny Yorkie-Maltese cross was bitten to death by a Rottweiler on Sunday.

Durrant had been on Vancouver Island visiting his parents and was at the Departure Bay ferry terminal. He was waiting to catch a ship back to the mainland when it happened. He had taken his dog to this off leash area where another dog owner was walking her pet.

Maureen Berris is the owner of the Rottweiler. She's had Rosie for 8 years and insists the dog has never been vicious. Berris believes Rosie simply wanted to play with little Rufus.

She's offering compensation and hoping her animal won't be put down as Bob Durrant believes it should. Police are now investigating and so is BC ferries, because Bob Durrant says that while Rufus was dying in his arms, the only thing ferry workers seemed concerned about was getting Bob on board.

“They made me pick up little Rufus and get in my car. I had to deal with it on the Horseshoe Bay side. I had to put little Rufus in the back of the car and get on the ferry," Durrant said.

BC Ferries says that they’re sorry that the Durrant had that experience, and they said they’d bring it up with the staff who were involved.

That comes as little comfort for Durrant. “Every time I have to go back there to visit my parents,” he says, “I'm going to remember that my little Rufus was killed. I don't think I can take that ferry anymore."

Emma Vandewetering,
Port Moody