A pit bull attack in a neighbourhood in Keremeos last week was a duel tragedy for both families involved.
We are a nation of dog lovers, and closer to home, Keremeos is a community of residents who share great affection for man’s best friend.
When something like this happens, it hits all of us close to the heart.
In the case of last week’s attack in Keremeos, two families became victims. There was no malicious intent involved; the dog who attacked had no history of aggressive behaviour, and had been leashed or fenced in - but anyone who has a pet knows how quickly an animal can slip away, even under the most attentive care.
As a result of the attack, both families have lost their pets.
Misery and sorrow was palpable on the street where the attack occurred, even days after the attack. But even in the most sorrowful of circumstances, we noticed some good things that have come out of this nasty incident.
Keremeos RCMP showed compassion, conciliatory skills and a strong sense of service to the community in their handling of the incident, from the transporting of the injured animal to the vet (no one involved had access to a vehicle) to the defusing of neighbourly emotions running high over last weekend.
The two families involved also deserve praise for the restraint they showed in the midst of their sorrow, grief and anger. Their civility towards each other kept a bad situation from escalating into something even worse.
We hope both families can eventually come to terms with the incident, and find some peace in the common ground that exists between them - both victims of an unfortunate set of circumstances, both of whom have lost significantly, but at the same time, both of whom must also continue to live as neighbours.