A Victoria veterinarian issued a warning to dog owners after her golden retriever was said to have been pulled under water and bitten by otters.

In a Facebook post, Claudia Campbell described how an apparently playful aquatic encounter between “Goldie” and a trio of otters took an unexpected turn.

“Goldie spotted an otter swimming not too far away. Like any dog, Goldie decided to swim towards to the otter to investigate,” she wrote on Wednesday. “The three otters proceeded to grab Goldie, and pull her under the water.”

Campbell said the attack occurred while the 27 kilogram dog was in the care of a dog walker at a local beach. She said the dog walker ran into the ocean to wrestle Goldie away from the otters.

“The otters had Goldie almost fully submerged with only her nose showing above water. If the dog walker had not been able to intervene, this may have had an awful ending,” Campbell wrote. “They had a solid hold on her.”

Donna Berndt said she witnessed the attack after she heard Goldie yelping.

“One of the otters had the dog by the tail. The second otter was on top of her and appeared to be drowning her,” she told CTV Vancouver Island.

Campbell went on to describe the otters as “angry” and “not the kind of creature you want to meet in a dark alley.”

Campbell said her clients have shared accounts of otters attempting to lure dogs into the ocean. She recommends keeping pets on a leash when the wild animals are spotted.

She said Goldie escaped the ordeal with a puncture mark on her back and bites on her tail and leg. She said the dog walker was “a bit shaken up” and cold from the ocean.

Marine zoologist Anna Hall said she is surprised by the incident.

“They’ve (otters) got claws and sharp teeth,” she said. “It’s a very unfortunate, but a very good reminder of just how close to wildlife we are here living on southern Vancouver Island.”

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Robert Buffam

Three otters tried to drown this golden retriever cross. Her dog walker rescued her from the attack, wading into the ocean to pull her from the otters’ clutches. Meet Goldie, who’s made a full recovery, tonight. @CTVNewsVI pic.twitter.com/qhAEtLy9gX — Robert Buffam (@CTVNewsRob) February 15, 2018