It was a beautiful brisk winter evening February 25 when Milly Turgel took her 10-month old dog named Cody for a walk to nearby Parc Berthiaume-Du-Tremblay on Levesque Blvd ouest. It was a walk like any other day, as she let little Cody out of his leash to freely roam the snow banks and mingle with other dogs as they crossed the parking lot at the corner of Promendes des Îles and Levesque to enter the park area. However, that fateful evening, thing's took a tragic turn.
Another car entered the parking lot and a pit bull was let out without a leash. The dog, named Soldier, made a beeline straight for Cody and a vicious ten minute attack took place as Turgel, the driver, and several witnesses watched in horror. "The pit bull's eyes were glazed over and he wouldn't let Cody go. I grabbed a hockey stick to hit him and make him stop but he wouldn't. There was nothing any of us could do," explained Turgel.
The aftermath
As Cody's little body lay in a heap, Turgel frantically called 9-1-1 but the driver of the car had already grabbed the pit bull and left the scene. "He didn't even apologize or take any responsibility. I think he was scared but that was a mistake," said Turgel. She later came to find out that the driver was not the dog's owner but was taking care of him for a friend. "I think that was more of a reason to have kept the dog on a leash. I believe if the owner was there, this wouldn't have happened," stated Turgel.
When Laval Police arrived on the scene, Turgel and several witnesses gave a detailed account and an investigation began. However, two months later, Turgel is still seeking justice. She recently consulted legal aid at McGill University and is planning to file a claim in small claims court in accordance with Article 1465 of the Quebec Civil Code which states that a person entrusted with the custody of an animal is liable to reparation for injury resulting from the autonomous act of the animal, unless he proves that he is not at fault. She is seeking a total of $4500 in damages including $2000 for the cost of the dog which was a rare breed called Coton de Tulear. "Even if I get nothing, I'll feel like I've done something," she explained.
Looking ahead
Recently Turgel acquired another Coton de Tulear and symbolically named him Jake, which means "supplanter" or to replace another. She is also focusing her efforts on making sure this doesn't happen again. Turgel wants Laval Police to increase patrol in Parc Berthiaume-Du-Tremblay, particularly in the parking lots. "It's such a privilege to live near such a beautiful park but these guys bring their pit bulls here and let them loose for fun. Children go here and these are dogs that are prepared to kill, that's what they are trained for. I'm not saying all big dogs are bad but dogs that are trained to be vicious, well you reap what you sow," she explained.
Last year, there was controversy over a possible pit bull ban throughout different boroughs in Montreal and muzzles becoming obligatory on all ill-behaved dogs. Laval Police Const. Nathalie Lorrain hasn't seen a demand for this in Laval, but is aware of the problem at the parking lots of Parc Berthiaume-Du-Tremblay. "A couple of years ago, we had a special surveillance set up there and the problem was resolved," she said. Although Chomedey's poste de quartier, which can be reached at (450) 978-6830, hasn't received any complaints lately, they welcome the input from the public. "The citizens are our eyes and ears. Of course, we can't have a police car there 24 hours a day, but if there's a problem in a specific area, we do open a complaint file," explained Const. Lorrain. The Laval Police Bicycle Patrol are also set to hit the road this summer where they will patrol all the parks and trails around the city.
As for Turgel, she now keeps her new dog Jake close by whenever she visits the park and believes she has been traumatized due to the tragedy. "I keep him on a leash and be extremely careful. This is my new reality," she said.