Rottie kills East Van man's tiny pal

By Naoibh O'Connor-Staff writer

A distraught East Vancouver man wants to see more restrictions on aggressive dog breeds after watching a Rotweiller kill his tiny Yorkie/Maltese cross at a Nanaimo ferry terminal Sunday.

Robert Durrant was with his dog Rufus in the outdoor, penned grassy area at Departure Bay when the incident occurred. Rufus, who would have turned two on May 12, was playing with a poodle, but once their leashes became intertwined, both owners removed them.

Durrant started chatting with the Rotweiller's owner, pointing out it looked like the animal wanted to be off leash too. "She said, 'Oh yeah, he plays with little dogs. He's OK, he's a friendly dog'-all that crap. So as soon as she let the dog off the leash, he killed my little dog," said an emotional Durrant. "Rufus died. I was laying on the grass with my little Rufus-he's the only thing I have."

The Rotweiller bit the five-and-a-half-pound dog's stomach, then its neck, breaking it. Adults and children waiting for the ferry who witnessed the attack were crying, Durrant said.

Because it was so close to sailing time, Durrant was forced to leave the island with his dead pet before calling authorities. "I told them I wanted the police, but they told us we had to deal with it on the other side," he said. "No one from B.C. Ferries even bothered to approach me on the ferry. I had to go upstairs. I had to talk to police on my own."

Some of the ship's staff offered condolences, but Durrant is critical of Departure Bay administration for not showing any concern.

Although the Rotweiller owner, who lives in the Lower Mainland, was upset at the time and has since called him with her regrets, Durrant isn't satisfied. "As nice a lady she is, she's got to get it through her thick skull that it's an ego trip, these dogs," he said, arguing owners should be forced to carry insurance for such unpredictable, dangerous breeds as Rotweillers, which he compared to a weapon. "I think these dogs are bred to kills things. They're guard dogs, they're not pets. Their purpose is to intimidate people."

Helen Roberts, manager of the Nanaimo animal shelter, said it will investigate Rufus's death, but has little power to do anything unless the Rotweiller lives within its jurisdiction. "We have to track it down to see who it belongs to and what's the dog's history," she said. Having the animal put down is a possibility, but that would depend on whether it was involved in previous offences.

Deborah Marshall, spokeswoman for B.C. Ferries, described the situation as unfortunate. "We would apologize if [Durrant] felt there was something more we could do," she said, noting it's the responsibility of pet owners to control their animals.

"We want to be able to provide some sort of area for folks to water their pets. Lots of people travel with dogs and so we do try to accommodate that."

B.C. Ferries will review the case to see if any changes to the dog enclosure are warranted. Marshall said erecting a fence that would separate large and small dogs might be something the organization would consider.

For Durrant, it's too little, too late. "I'm so stunned today I can't think, but if my little dog's life can make a change [in the laws], that's what should happen."

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