Emotional search continues for missing dog that fled attack on vehicle in Victoria
Rebecca Ellis' dashcam captures the last moments she spent with her dog.
She and her two dogs were sitting in their parked van on Pembroke Street in downtown Victoria waiting for her partner, Alex, to get off work on Friday night.
That's when Ellis heard screaming and saw a man approaching.
"I heard the vehicle behind me getting smashed," she told CTV News on Monday.
The man was on a rampage with a hammer, smashing car windows in the area. He would go on to smash the rear and side windows of Ellis' van.
"My driver's side window beside us got smashed out. So quickly, Camper (my dog) and I fled the vehicle," said Ellis.
Ellis and Camper ran in terror, but when they turned a corner and bumped into a Victoria police cruiser, Ellis stopped while Camper kept running.
Moments later, VicPD officers arrested the man, who is now facing recommended charges of mischief and assault with a weapon.
However, Camper is still missing, roughly 72 hours after the frightening encounter occurred.
"I'll do anything to get her back. She's my life," said owner Alex Painter. "We're just so worried about her right now. We've been searching the entire city."
The two-year-old female pit-terrier cross has been spotted in multiple places around Victoria, including Fairfield, the Ross Bay Cemetery, on Dallas Road, and near Beacon Hill Park.
Volunteer search groups say the dog's ability to move makes it hard to track down.
"It's a challenge because it's downtown and there a lot of traffic and that's always a concern," said Judy Carroll with ROAM (Reuniting Owners with animals Missing).
"She's not a slow dog so when she wants to go somewhere she's gone," Painter said.
Camper's owners continue to search for their missing pet, and say they're grateful for the help that they've received from the community.
"Complete strangers are taking time out of their day. Hours and hours, days and days," said owner Alex Painter.
"We're just hoping that she has food and that she's safe," said Ellis.
If you see Camper, you're asked to call ROAM at 778-977-6260 or 778-977-6265, or call the number on Camper's collar.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.