Mia Joy Nowdlak-Fraser is pictured here, before a dog attacked her in Iqaluit on Monday. The 11-year-old was medevaced to Ottawa for treatment on Tuesday evening to treat facial injuries. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Nowdlak)
Child medevaced after dog attack in Iqaluit
11-year-old faces reconstructive surgery; bylaw investigating incident
The City of Iqaluit is investigating a dog attack Monday that left an 11-year-old girl with serious injuries to her head and face.
Mia Joy Nowdlak-Fraser encountered the dog as she was walking between houses in the downtown core of the city, said her mother Kelly Nowdlak.
After receiving care in Iqaluit, Nowdlak and her daughter were medevaced to Ottawa shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“She needs to be assessed and treated by a plastic surgeon for injuries to her eyelid and for an area where skin is missing,” Nowdlak said through Facebook Messenger, as the pair boarded their flight. “The specialist will determine the reconstructive treatment required, including skin grafting and repair of the eyelid.”
The dog was at the back of the house at the time of the attack, Nowdlak said.
Nowdlak has made posts on social media about the incident, which have been shared across Nunavut with sentiments of concern about dog control and public safety.
“My biggest concern is making sure what happened to my daughter is taken seriously and that another person or child is not injured,” Nowdlak said.
The City of Iqaluit released a public service announcement Tuesday about the incident, saying the city recognizes the “serious concern” within the community following the attack.
Dog owners are responsible for making sure their their pets do not kill or injure others, or damage property, according to the City of Iqaluit’s animal control bylaw. Whether or not they have care and control of the dog, owners are “guilty of an offence” if the dog “attacks, threatens or injures any person.”
Deputy Mayor Kimberly Smith commented on the incident during Tuesday’s city council meeting, saying RCMP have been in touch with the family.
At first, RCMP took over as the lead investigator, with municipal enforcement providing support.
Nunatsiaq News has reached out to RCMP to ask why they took over the investigation but did not receive a response to this question.
Instead, RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Ashley Daley said officers have identified the dog and its owner.
On Wednesday afternoon, city spokesperson Geoff Byrne said in a press release that the investigation had been transferred back to the city because it does not involve criminal activity.
“Based on the information gathered during [the RCMP’s] investigation, the dog was not at large at the time of the incident and was reportedly tethered,” Byrne wrote.
The RCMP has yet to transfer its file to the city’s Municipal Enforcement Department. Once the department’s review is complete, the city will provide an update, he said.
“The City recognizes the seriousness of this incident and the concern it has caused,” Byrne said.
So far this year municipal enforcement has responded to 17 dog bite incidents and seven animal cruelty complaints. The city has put down nine dogs.
Unfortunate this happened.
With this issue so common in the North with dogs wandering around why do people wait until something happens?.
“Based on the information gathered during [the RCMP’s] investigation, the dog was not at large at the time of the incident and was reportedly tethered,”
Tell me more about your blame of dogs on the loose.
Stray dogs are a problem, but it wasn’t the case with this incident. The dog was tied up in front of the house. Doesn’t make what happened okay, but might as well get the story straight.
The dog was behind the house, and not in the front. Regardless of where the dog was, the incident is very sad, and I hope the little girl will come out of this without any trauma or scars.
Saying this, tied-up dogs should never be approached unless you are the owner. Many dogs are tied (chained) for their whole life, and it’s not unusual that sticks or small rocks are thrown at them. You never know how the dog will respond! Maybe it’s eating, maybe it is in pain, maybe it is in fear of being hit. The dog can’t speak, and we’ll never find out what happened. If the dog in this incident is the same as the one shown on FB, his name is Nanook (we always called him dumb dumb), and he was a rough fellow, but also kind and happy for any attention. This is only an assumption, but any dog that breaks the skin of a human, or worse, must be terminated. The other dog who lived there (tied to the power pole) was the awesome Tigger. He was beautiful, kind, and always happy when we came down the street. Unfortunately, he was ripped apart by multiple loose dogs a few years ago.
Don’t underestimate dogs, never. They are not born as bad dogs, but the treatments they receive can make them vicious.
With all the loose dogs, or chained dogs, the city has to come to a solution that fits all. Prevent animal cruelty and punish owners who fail their pets. Nunavut had several incidents with dogs in the past, unfortunately with even worse outcomes.
Recover quickly, young lady
Yes very true, it is known only when something serious or someone gets killed do City make changes, sad but true.
I’m a former teacher with 40 years’ experience in Canada and overseas. I’ve taught more children (in all those countries) than I can recall who had scars after being bit in the face and/or head by dogs. MIssing cheeks, ears, noses, and/or lips. Teach kids to keep their faces and heads far away from any dog, even those they think they know. Teach them to keep their distance from a tethered dog. I m very sorry this happened. It’s so unfortunate but hopefully others can learn from this so further injuries may be avoided. I wish this beautiful girl a speedy and full recovery.
Much was made of loose dogs and activists claiming it was true strict to only have 24 hours to claim the dog before being put down. Every damn day there is still loose dogs everywhere in town. The by-law is nothing but a joke!
This dog was tide up behind the house, parents should teach their kids not to approach dogs that are not theirs, it’s not the dogs or owners fault for this one. It’s unfortunate for what happened but it’s the parents of this girl who needs to look after their child and teach her not to approach someone else’s dog, especially a large dog like this one.
Why didnt By-Law run with this from the beginning? Dogs, dog attacks, and dogs at large are all very clearly defined in the municipal bylaws as are the responsibilities of dog owner. Leave the RCMP alone to deal with more pressing problems.
Sho, idk maybe to rule out a crime . Once that was ruled out ??? Then they turned it over to the city . Does this resolve any concerns you may have sho ?
It’s nice to have a beautiful dog pet friend. I had a big one myself but put him down after he bit a friend’s finger. He was being teased by bike riders and broke his tether, chased them down and pinned the kid down. He was a 96 pounder and could have killed her but didn’t. Thank goodness! I made the decision to euthanize him out of compassion, before anything worse happened. I still wept.