Vancouver man and dog attacked by raccoons

A Vancouver man is calling on the city to take action after he and his dog were attacked by raccoons in Kitsilano last week.

Jake Moss says he was taking his dog, Pingu, for a walk on Aug. 3 when a group of raccoons ambushed them.

“We heard a sound, looked over in the bushes, and I saw two raccoons hiding right here behind the tree facing my dog. And all at once they just jumped out and they grabbed onto him right about here,” he told CityNews.

Jake Moss (pictured) pointing out where he and his dog were attacked while walking in Kitsilano on Aug. 3. (Sarah Chew, CityNews)

Moss says a total of three raccoons attacked, forcing him to kick and throw them off of Pingu. He was left with bites on his hand and ankles, while his dog lost his left eye in the fight.

“It’s sort of fortunate we hadn’t groomed him in a while so he had a lot of hair so the scratches were pretty minor. The main problem was the eye – it was ripped out and dangling from his face,” he explained.

Moss says the City of Vancouver should take the raccoons away so they don’t harm anyone else.

However, in a statement to CityNews, the City of Vancouver says raccoons are not its jurisdiction.

“Raccoons fall outside of the City’s regulations as they are protected under the Provincial Wildlife Act. Residents dealing with raccoons and other wildlife are encouraged to contact an accredited pest control company,” the statement reads.

Jake Moss and his dog, Pingu, were attacked by a trio of raccoons in Vancouver on Aug. 3. (Sarah Chew, CityNews)

Moss says he isn’t satisfied with that answer.

He says he and Pingu weren’t the first pet and owner to be attacked by the animals that day. He explains he has since learned that hours before his attack, another resident and dog had been injured by raccoons in a similar altercation.

“We have animals that are actually engaging in attacks here on people and on pets. And it just seems like nothing’s being done about it,” Moss said.

Pingu the dog (pictured) lost an eye after a group of raccoons attacked him and his owner, Jake Moss on Aug. 3 in Vancouver. (Sarah Chew, CityNews)

The dog owner says he’s thankful to his neighbours, who witnessed the attack and sprung into action. That includes Mark Harrison, who ran from his home and immediately drove Moss and Pingu to get medical attention.

“I just saw him standing there holding his dog and they were covered in blood. We took them to the vet first and to the hospital,” Harrison told CityNews.

Harrison says helping out was the neighbourly thing to do.

“You don’t think about it, you just do it,” he said.