“I don’t want him having fears of dogs and beaches,” she said. “He’s a pretty hyper kid who likes to play and run and jump.”

NanaimoNewsNOW checked in with the family on Monday, Dec. 17.

Smith said Lewis’s wounds have healed but “the trauma part is a work in progress.”

“He questions what happened and naturally has a big fear of any dog big or small. We are working on this and we hope and are confident this unfortunate event will be a distant memory for him as he grows older.”

The story was an unfortunate reminder on the importance of proper dog training.

Senior animal control officer Ian Fraser said dog owners must never forget being in an off-leash area doesn’t mean it’s an out-of-control area.

“Your dog can be off-leash but it still has to be in your command. Certainly if you can’t see your dog, arguably you don’t have control over it.”

There are 12 off-leash dog parks in Nanaimo.

Fraser said dog owners need to have serious conversations with themselves about if their dog is ready for unrestrained play and not take any risks when going to a park.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit