Versatile Pacific launches final contracted sh ip | 3 - Wednesday, January 7, 1987 - North Shore News NEWS photos Noll Lucent VERSATILE PACIFIC Shipyard workers (top) blend into the dark shadows cast by the hull of the Henry Larsen during las¢ minute work to (he 327-fool icebreaker. The ship (above) was taunched Saturday morn- ing from the North Vancouver shipyard in a gala ceremony. Unusually high tides delayed the launch for DISPUTE ARISES OVER PIT BULL-DOBERMANN FIGHT Injured dog causes N.Van woman woe A NORTH Vancouver woman claims a neighbor’s two pit bull terriers attacked and injured her Dobermann pinscher after the neighbor ordered his dogs to attack her dog. And because of Christmas spen- ding, Darlene Langsford, 27, says she cannot afford to pay for her dog Sam’s veterinary treatment. Langford, of 308 East 18th Street, said the attack occurred at ‘approximately 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22 after she released Sam into the back lane. The next thing she knew the neighbor’s two pit bull terriers were attacking Sam and chasing him up to her back door. “I was afraid those dogs were going to come in the back door,” said Langsford. ‘‘What if they at- tacked us?”’ Langsford said a neighboring family’s boy chased the pit bull terriers inio her yard, calling them by name and pulling them off Sam. She claimed that when her fiance spoke to one of the neighboring family’s boys the next day he admitted sicking the pit bull terriers on her dog. The left front leg of her Dober- mann appeared to be broken but a veterinarian said the dog had cellulitis, an infection caused by By ROBERT BEYNON . Contributing Writer bites to the bone. ‘‘The teeth marks go right through his leg,’ said Langsford. When contacted by the News, Donny Meola of !808 St. Andrews Avenue said the dogs are none of the News’ business. He claimed he did not know who owned the dogs, which live in the Meola’s back yard. Jim Gilbert, acting superintend- ent of the North Vancouver Socie- ty for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shelter, said the Meolas had cooperated with the SPCA and that the incident is more complex than it initially ap- pears. Gilbert said both owners are partly responsible for the attack because the dogs were on neither owner’s property during the inci- dent, which began in the back lane. “Tt turned out to be a sort of dog fight,’’ said Gilbert, adding that dog fights happen all the time. He said the incident appears worse. than it really was because a number of pit bull terrier attacks have been reported in the media over the last half year. Gilbert said the SPCA placed the terriers under a 10-day quaran- tine, but would do nothing else. Langsford, he said, will have to make claims through small claims court if she wants compensation for her dog’s injuries. Langsford took her dog into the SPCA’s veterinary hospital, but said she had to leave it there until she can raise the money to pay for its care. The hospital does noi give credit. She said something should be done about the neighbor’s dogs, but the SPCA will do nothing unless the incident occurs entirely on her property. “I'm angry,’’ Langsford said. **] don’t know what to do. I’m not a little vigilante.” Relations with the Meolas had been good until the incident, she added, saying she even gave them a bag of bones for their dogs once. She says her dog Sam is an ex- tremely gentle dog, who was brought up with children. ‘‘He doesn’t bite. He’d have to be given a command to bite.”” Weather: Wednesday and Thursday mainly sunny, highs near THE PUBLICATION of a child sexual abuse manual by the West Vancouver Policeman’s Association has been such a success that profits from the project are now going to other groups dealing with the problem. Detective Gordon Kiloh said a committee of police union members is reviewing applications and making grants to community groups working in the field of child sexual abuse. One such group to benefit is the new sexual abuse team at Lions Gate Hospital. The team has been supplied with literature and equipment, such as anatomically correct dolls, by the policeman’s union. The money raised by the association came from advertise- ments placed in the recently distributed Child Sexual Abuse Manual. Kiloh declined .to give the amount of money raised from the project. More than 5,000 copies of the about two hours, bul the ceremonial champagne was eventually smashed on the ship’s bow (left) by the widow of RCMP Supt. Henry Larsen. INDEX Auto.............. 30 Business........... 25 Classified Ads.......34 Doug Collins........ Editorial Page Bob Hunter... Lifestyles .. Mailbox........ Sports............. TV lListings.........33 What's Going On... .31 success 180-page manual were published last December, and are available free to interested community groups or individuals at the West Vancouver Police office. Work to publish the comprehen- sive manual began last May, after the association saw the work of the King County Sheriff's Officer Association in Washington, which published a similar book. The West Vancouver Police- man’s Association was the first in Canada to work on such a project. Members worked on the project in their spare time. Organizers said the manual is meant for the general public, as opposed to professionals who already have access to information on the subject of child sexual abuse.