Calgary dog attack victim had a ‘larger than life’ personality: fundraiser

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover funeral costs after an elderly woman was killed in a dog attack in Calgary’s northwest Sunday.

The 86-year-old woman was mauled by three dogs in an alleyway in the community of Capitol Hill. She waited 30 minutes for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, where she later died of her injuries.

According to the fundraiser, Betty Ann Williams, whom everyone called “Rusty,” lived in her Capitol Hill home for more than 50 years. It notes she would have turned 87 in August.

Those behind the GoFundMe campaign say the tragedy has left them “stunned and lost for words.”

Read More:

• Northwest Calgary deadly dog attack was initially deemed ‘non-life-threatening’: AHS

• Calgary EMS took 30 minutes to respond to dog attack victim: AHS

• Elderly woman dead after dog attack in northwest Calgary

Loved ones say Williams was a two-time cancer survivor and while small in stature, they note her personality was “larger than life.”

The fundraiser hopes to raise $25,000 to help her family cover costs.

In the days since the dog attack, it’s been revealed that the call was initially treated as a non-life threatening incident.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has said a communication mix-up meant an ambulance didn’t arrive right away, when police did, Sunday.

The dogs involved are still being held by the city, as police investigate what potential charges the owner might face.

-With files from Mark Strashok, Joey Chini, and Taylor Braat