Hunter the greyhound recovering after vicious chow chow attack

A dog owner in St. John's is looking for the owners of a chow chowthat attacked his greyhound, Hunter, on a popular walking trail over the weekend.

Jason Tucker was walking five-year-old Hunter on the Kent's Pond Trail around 3:30 p.m. Saturday when he came across two people walking a pair ofchow chows.

As they approached a narrow boardwalk, Tucker said, he reigned in Hunter's leash and put himself between the dogs.

"As we passed each other I guess one of the chow chows went behind my legs and latched onto Hunter, and the only spot that he could get to was just behind his ribs," Tucker told CBC News Monday.

"It was like nothing I've ever seen before in my life."

Big bill

The two dogs dropped off the boardwalk into the bog, and the attack didn't end untilthe chow chow's owner hauled the animal off Hunter, Tuckersaid.

"At the time, knowing how bad Hunter looked because it looked really bad my only concern was toget him to the vet."

Hunter was left with a large oval-shaped wound that exposed his muscle.

It was like nothing I've ever seen before in my life.- Jason Tucker, Hunter's owner

Tucker said the chow chowowners offered no apologies, and as he ran with Hunter to leave he had to pass the dogs again, as it was the fastest way to his truck.

"We went past them and the owner of the chow chows said to me, 'Why did you bring him back this way?'And this was the only thing they said to me the whole time."

Hunter was rushed to a veterinarian'soffice, where he underwent an hour surgery to stitch up his gaping woundand add adrainage tube.

The bill, Tucker said, was $2,000.

Popular pooch

"[The owners] needto take responsibly for what happened tomy dog because he didn't do anything and they didn't control their dogs to make sure that they didn't attack anyother dog," Tucker said.

"I'm just glad my wife and kids weren't with me because my daughter is three-years-old and if she had seen that I don't know ... that would be worse than any of the injures to Hunter orwhat I had to go through."

Hunter, Tucker said, is well-known around the community because Tucker's wife wrote a book about him several years ago titled Hunter Comes Home.

The doghas alsomade numerous visits to the N.L. Pet Expo.

Hunter,who is recovering at home,has another appointment with a vet at the end of the week.

TheRoyal Newfoundland Constabulary is looking for witnesses to the attack.