Animal Attack
Books

November 29, 1999

GARDEN RIVER, Alberta (AP) -- A 5-year-old girl who stopped to play with a puppy was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in a remote settlement north of Edmonton.

Cecilia Alook died Saturday after the dog pack mauled her about 200 yards from her home, according to Sgt. Colin White of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

``They chased her and knocked her down,'' White said Sunday. ``Most of the bites were on her neck, face and head.''

The girl apparently was walking outside and wanted to play with a puppy, said her aunt, Loretta Alook.

``He took off on her so she followed it,'' Alook said. ``And what they (police) think is that the puppy got attacked and she was too close to the puppy and got attacked.''

Residents of the community of 300 people about 500 miles north of Edmonton later killed the dogs, which White said probably were starving.

``If dogs are hungry in the summer, they can go into garbage or catch small animals,'' he said. ``In winter they go into packs and can get hungry enough to attack a child.''

AP-NY-11-29-99 1114EDT

BACK to Animal Attack Files Index