Grand Bahama Dog Attack Raises Safety Concerns

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GRAND BAHAMA – The 11-year-old Grand Bahama boy who was attacked by a dog over the weekend has been treated and released from hospital.

That’s according to press liaison for the RBPF’s Northern Division, Assistant Superintendent Nicholas Johnson.

Police say the 11-year-old was attacked by a dog on Saturday just after 6 p.m.

The incident now raises fresh concerns about how the community handles roaming dogs and the responsibility that comes with pet ownership.

We caught up with Tiffany Dennison, who’s the president of the Grand Bahama Humane Society.

She says the issue goes far beyond the dogs themselves. It’s about education, care, and accountability.

Tiffany Dennison – President, Grand Bahama Humane Society
“This does come down to people more than it comes down to the actual dogs themselves. The dogs are doing what dogs are supposed to be doing. As Tip would tell you from the Humane Society, they didn’t fly here, they didn’t swim here. We brought them here. They’re not indigenous to this country. And it is our responsibility to take care of them, and we’re not. We’re letting them run rampant. Now they’re hurting people. Now they’re hurting tourists. We have said for a long time that the spay and neuter campaign and education is what we should be focusing on more and more.”

Tiffany Dennison – President, Grand Bahama Humane Society
“As much as we can all say, well, this is a government issue, the government should do this, the government should do that. It’s a community issue, and we should all be supporting what the government now has come to realize through this, that we need to… It is not about going around killing a bunch of dogs. It’s about education. It’s about spay and neuter. It’s about proper animal ownership and care. Once that is done, we should not have a problem on the streets at all.”

Meanwhile, Grand Bahama resident Denise DeGregory points out that the problem isn’t only about careless owners today.

She says many dogs were left behind after Hurricane Dorian, adding to the growing number of strays across the island.

Denise DeGregory – Resident, Grand Bahama
“People do need to be responsible for their dogs, definitely. But what we fail to think about in all of this is that there’s a lot of dogs that are misplaced, especially since Dorian. You know, other people had to leave the island to go find jobs, and maybe they weren’t responsible with the way they just abandoned their dog, or some owners might not even still be with us, and the dog was just left.”

Reactions are also pouring in online.

Some residents are calling for tougher laws, saying dog owners should face fines, lawsuits, and even jail time if their animals attack.

This Facebook user shared their own frightening encounter, describing how they were attacked by stray dogs and rescued by passers-by.

While another insisted dog owners should pay for any medical bills incurred.