A Winnipeg mother is warning others, after she said she was assaulted at Maple Grove Dog Park.
Meghan Dobbs told CTV News she went to the dog park Thursday morning with her three-year-old daughter in tow.
Dobbs had her two dogs with her, and said as she got out of her van a man in front of her got out of his vehicle with two dogs.
The dogs began sniffing each other, but Dobbs said the man seemed upset.
“He told me my dogs were going to get it three times, and that’s when I asked my dogs to get back into the van,” said Dobbs.
Dobbs was holding her daughter’s bike helmet, and when the dogs began scrapping, she lobbed it at the animals in hopes of stopping the fight.
Dobbs said she intended to hit her own dog, but the animals turned as they scrapped, and she ended up hitting the stranger’s dog.
That’s when Dobbs said the man assaulted her.
“He took a closed fist and punched me in the jaw. Kind of jarred my brain a little bit,” said Dobbs.
“I’m surprised I didn’t fall over. He was a pretty big man.”
After swearing at her, Dobbs said he walked towards the dog park with his dogs, but then seemed to change his mind a short while later and left the area.
Meanwhile, Dobbs went to her van to compose herself, and later reported the incident to police.
The ordeal has left her shocked and feeling like she couldn’t defend herself.
“I’m also 39-weeks-pregnant, this baby’s gonna come any day. And I had a three-year-old with me. That’s kind of three things you don’t do,” said Dobbs.
Word of the incident spread quickly through the dog park, with dog owners expressing their shock.
Charles Thorpe takes his pups regularly and said he couldn’t believe it.
“Lovely baby on the way and somebody hits a pregnant woman? I’ve never heard of anything like it,” said Thorpe.
Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said it’s received a report of the assault and is investigating.
