‘Heartbreaking loss’: Sandy Bay First Nation offers condolences after apparent dog attack

Leaders with the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation are offering their condolences after an animal rescue worker died following an apparent dog attack in the community and say the “stray and aggressive” animals are a longstanding issue.

Amanda Nobiss, 37, was volunteering in the community on the shores of Lake Manitoba with K9 Advocacy. Her remains were discovered on Friday morning.

The Manitoba First Nations Police Service said in a news release that it had been contacted by a friend of Amanda’s who was trying to locate her, around 12:45 a.m.

Using her cellphone location, police determined she appeared to be in Sandy Bay, said the release. Resources were dispatched to the area, including a drone, but due to the large radius of the cellphone “ping,” no one was located until 6 a.m.

“A local maintenance worker located a deceased adult female in the same area of the ping,” said the police service.

Police said several “aggressive dogs” were found in the area where her body was located.

In a release Sunday, Chief Trevor Prince and the band’s councillors offer condolences to Nobiss’s family, calling her death a “heartbreaking loss.”

It asks people to avoid assigning blame or speculating, but said outside advocacy groups are not authorized in the community without prior approval and oversight by local police.

“Based on information currently available to the First Nation, it is our understanding that the canine advocate entered the community after regular business hours and attempted to retrieve dogs,” said the statement, asking for prayers for all involved.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation by the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, and the facts have not yet been fully determined. Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation is fully cooperating with and supporting their investigation.”

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Described as a passionate and caring animal advocate, Nobiss’s death has sent shock waves through the province, and remains under investigation.

Several requests for comment on the incident to police and council have gone unanswered.

Leadership said they won’t be providing any further comment until the investigation has concluded, saying many in the community have also been deeply affected, including “dog owners who continue to have concerns about both public safety and the welfare of their animals.”

“Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation remains committed to working with its partners to develop long-term solutions that protect both people and animals,” said the statement.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca

Morgan Modjeski
Reporter Signal

Morgan Modjeski is a news reporter and multimedia producer for the Free Press.  Read more about Morgan.

Every piece of reporting Morgan produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.