Puppy re-learning to walk after attack by large dog on Penticton beach leaves him with extensive brain, skull injuries

The owner of a puppy attacked by a large dog on Okanagan Lake is facing thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, as the nine-week-old Great Pyrenees struggles to learn to walk again following extensive brain and skull surgery.

It was every puppy parent's nightmare when, on the evening of July 7, owner Gurik Manshahia was walking with his new dog Sheru and a friend, Shanta Borrego, by the Penticton Peach.

Sheru was on leash when a large-breed dog attacked, after the dogs approached each other while walking.

The dog grabbed Sheru by the skull, and was too large for Borrego and others to pull off immediately.

"Sheru was super badly injured, so we rushed him off to the Kelowna animal hospital. He was crying and screaming the whole drive there," Borrego recalls.

He had a broken nose and several skull fractures, and after two days in Kelowna, it became clear he needed more specialized neurological surgery at Canada West Veterinary Hospital in Vancouver.

"He's been in Vancouver since Friday. It's like been up and down, and super emotional, but now he has been improving which is great. They've just sent a video of him trying to walk on his own," Borrego said.

"But it's cost around $15,000 so far for surgeries and medication, and even with fewer medication as he improves, it's between $670 and $980 per night."

Borrego set up a GoFundMe to help her friend and beloved puppy. She says that the woman who owns the dog that attacked Sheru has been largely uncooperative, dodging calls from them and from Dog Control after offering up her phone number and first name at the scene.

"I ended up sending her a huge text message saying, 'This is super like upsetting, like please cooperate, help us.' And she just replied with this like huge message saying like the puppy should not have rushed this dog, and that she can offer $750," Borrego.

"It could have been a kid, I think that she needs to take responsibility. And then was like, 'I've also looked around and have found two seven-week-old Great Pyrenees that you can adopt' which was honestly so hurtful, I think that was way worse she said that."

Dog Control was not immediately available for comment.

Find the GoFundMe to help Sheru recover here.

Photo: Contributed

Sheru before the attack that left him with major skull, brain and face injuries