Surgical tubing pokes out the fresh wound on his neck, but that isnB次元官网网址檛 stopping Cooper the dog from running around with the energy of a one-year-old puppy.

The chocolate lab was attacked and mauled by a pitbull in Goldstream park Thursday morning, says owner Vance Walle, and is lucky to be alive.

Walle, a Langford developer, said he was walking his two labs off-leash in the forest on the west side of the park, when they came across a grey off-leash pitbull. The dogs didnB次元官网网址檛 fight, Walle said, but the pitbull lunged without warning and got its jaw around CooperB次元官网网址檚 neck.

The other owner did an admirable job getting his hands into the pitbullB次元官网网址檚 mouth, but it took about five minutes to pry the dog off.

B次元官网网址淚t felt like an hour,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t was a long process to get the dog of my dogB次元官网网址檚 neck. (The pitbull) was tossing him around by his throat. He was ripped up pretty good.B次元官网网址�

Walle said he asked the owner for his name several times, but it wasnB次元官网网址檛 forthcoming, although he indicated he was from Langford. At a minimum, the pitbullB次元官网网址檚 owner shouldnB次元官网网址檛 allow his dog off leash, Walle said.

B次元官网网址淚 want to get the word out so no one gets hurt. This dog isn't safe around other dogs,B次元官网网址� Walle said. B次元官网网址淭hat dog should be on a leash or be muzzled.B次元官网网址�

Cooper the lab had surgery on Thursday afternoon and is recovering.

Anyone with information on this attack can email Walle at vanceandcheryl@hotmail.com.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com