Police in Nova Scotia investigate fatal dog attack northeast of Halifax

MIDDLE MUSQUODOBOIT, N.S. — A dog described by police as a large pit bull attacked and killed its owner while the two were out for a roadside walk Tuesday in a rural community northeast of Halifax.

Shortly after a motorist and a jogger spotted the woman’s body near Middle Musquodoboit around 8 a.m., the RCMP issued an alert to residents, warning them to stay inside because the dog was on the loose.

About 90 minutes later, police learned the brown and tan dog had been struck and killed by a vehicle.

Halifax Coun. Steve Streatch, who represents the Musquodoboit Valley area, said local residents told him the woman was on a local road in Chaswood when the dog turned on her.

“It is a very tragic event that a lot of people are having great difficulty with,” Streatch said, adding that the woman had recently moved to Middle Musquodoboit.

Police later issued a statement saying they could not provide any further information because the woman’s family had not yet been notified.

“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family during this difficult time,” the statement said.

The Musquodoboit Valley is best known for farming and forestry.

“Most people know everybody else,” said Streatch. “It’s a quiet and enjoyable community. This is such a tragic and unusual situation.”

Streatch said the woman’s death adds to the heartache many people are feeling after a series of tragedies have gripped the province, including the killing of 22 people in a mass shooting on April 18-19 and the deaths of six Nova Scotia-based military members who were aboard a Cyclone helicopter that crashed in the Ionian Sea on April 29.

However, the councillor said tough times are nothing new for the province.

“Nova Scotians in general — and residents of the Musquodoboit valley specifically — are very resilient,” he said.

“But we have definitely had more than our share over the last few months. It only adds to our resolve and the character of a community that I’m very proud to represent and live in.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2020.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled the last name of Coun. Steve Streatch