Co-op residents miffed after five-year-old hurt by neighbour's bulldogs

Winnipeg Free Press

16 hours ago

Residents of a West Kildonan housing complex are rallying behind a distraught mother, who says her five-year-old was attacked by a pair of large dogs while she played in an outdoor common area.
Despite reporting the incident to the city's Animal Services, Judy Cymbalisty believes little has been done to protect her daughter. The child suffered injuries to the back of her head, ear and lower body, and is afraid to leave home as a result, she said.
The June 6 incident has prompted 94 residents of the Seven Oaks Garden Housing Co-operative to sign a petition demanding the animals be removed from the 134-unit complex.
TYLER SEARLE / FREE PRESS
Judy Cymbalisty and her dog Sadie. Cymbalisty's five-year-old daughter was attacked by a pair of large dogs while she played in an outdside.
'I'm worried about the dogs being here. I'm worried that other kids will get hurt and I'm worried about my daughter's mental state,' Cymbalisty said, speaking Thursday from the complex on Jack Donner Drive.
'There's a lot of kids here and, as long as those dogs are here, in my mind, their safety is at risk.'
Cymbalisty said her daughter, Brooklynn, went to meet a friend outside when two American bulldogs forced their way through a storm door and attacked her from behind.
A bystander and the pet owner pulled the dogs off of her. Brooklynn ran to her home and into the arms of her father, Cymbalisty said.
'She comes in the house and she's crying saying, 'Daddy, I'm never going outside anymore. Those dogs got me.' That's when he realized there was blood all over her head,' she said.
Cymbalisty, who was at work, rushed home and drove Brooklynn to the Children's Hospital.
In addition to multiple minor puncture wounds on her head, the child had scrapes and bruises, and a single puncture wound near her pelvis.
The dogs ripped her shorts and panties during the attack, Cymbalisty said.
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Brooklynn Cymbalisty, 5, was attacked by a pair of large dogs while she played in an outdoor common area.
'For the grace of God, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Physically, she is OK, but mentally not so good,' she said. 'When she hears a dog barking she comes running to the house crying.'
Cymbalisty reported the incident to Animal Services on the same day. She said city staff went to the pet owner's home at least once, but the dogs are still there.
The Free Press tried to contact the pets' owner at their home on Thursday afternoon, but no one answered the door. Two dogs could be heard barking inside.
Cymbalisty said the animals should have been seized and assessed to determine whether they could be a threat to others.
'Animal Services has done zero to contact us, to tell us where we are standing on this. So, are they OK with the dogs biting a five-year-old and just letting them stay in the same area?' Cymbalisty said.
'Our complex is now dealing with it, and unfortunately, that's a slow process.'
Shawn Orne, site management co-ordinator at the co-op, confirmed the complex's leadership team has received a copy of the residents' petition. He said the community is home to more than 260 people, including many children.
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Brooklynn Cymbalisty.
'The board, like the community, is taking every possible action that we can,' he said. 'None of us are happy.'
Orne said the co-op has retained legal counsel and is exploring options to have the animals removed.
Bambilyn Shoffner, another resident, helped launch the petition and gather the signatures.
'I actually live right behind the dogs… I'm extremely familiar with the dogs and the lack of security,' she said. 'It's just dangerous, and Animal Services hasn't stepped in, in a way that I would deem appropriate.'
Shoffner said she formerly sat on the co-op board and was aware of a previous incident in which the dogs rushed into the home of an elderly neighbour and knocked her to the ground.
Efforts to reach the senior were unsuccessful, and the Free Press was unable to independently verify this account.
Orne said he is aware of other complaints and incidents involving the two dogs.
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It is unclear what steps the city has taken to address Cymbalisty's complaint. The City of Winnipeg confirmed it is investigating, but declined to provide any specifics.
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Brooklynn Cymbalisty.
Investigators typically gather statements from the complainant, meet with the dog owner and place the animal in quarantine for a 10-day period, either in their home or at a kennel.
In cases where a dog has bit another animal or person more than once, they may be given an 'at risk' designation, the spokesperson said.
The city confirmed the dogs have been involved in at least one other incident.
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Tyler SearleReporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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