Dog-walker attacked by strangers on North Vancouver trail (VIDEO)

A woman says she was beaten by a stranger in a disturbing random attack on a North Vancouver dog-walking trail.

Lisa Adams, the owner of Nature Hounds, said was out with five of her clients’ dogs on January 23 when she ended up being attacked by a man as his partner urged him to take her phone.

She came across the man and woman with their two poodles on the trail, and the woman said something to Adams. Adams didn’t hear what it was, and replied “pardon?” That’s when the woman allegedly said “don’t ignore me, bitch. Put your f*cking dog on a leash.”

At that point, Adams said she awkwardly smiled and apologized. She asked what direction the couple was going, so she could go the opposite. But the woman kept talking, brought out her phone, and alleged she’d seen Adams before and was going to report her.

Adams, a licensed dog-walker who was on an off-leash trail with less than the legal limit of six dogs, wasn’t concerned about being reported. But she pulled out her own phone too.

When the woman’s partner saw Adams’ phone, he allegedly turned around and swung at her. That’s when Adams hit record, and, in a video of the incident, she’s heard saying “don’t f*cking] touch me,” as the man raises his hands toward her.

“He actually tried to slap the phone out of my hand and he was saying ‘give me that phone.’ So I squeeze so hard onto that phone,” Adams said.

Adams said the man grabbed her shoulders and threw her down in the bushes, pinned her down, and started beating her.

“He’s just pummelling me. One punch, two punch, one, punch, punch, punch,” she said. “I’m screaming ‘what are you doing … get off of me.'”

She had her hands up to protect her face, and said she was grateful she was wearing so many layers for the cold weather — or her injuries could have been worse.

The dogs started barking and jumping up on their hind legs during the attack, and that’s when Adams said the man’s partner came over and pulled him off of her.

Adams told them she’d call the police, and hit record again. That’s when the man is seen shaking the woman off and coming at Adams again.

He allegedly punched her in the gut, and when she doubled over he pinned her down again — at which point the woman tried to grab Adams’ phone. Adams was on her front this time, saying the man was punching her kidneys and back.

“She’s yelling ‘get the phone, get the phone,'” Adams said of the woman. “She’s absolutely encouraging all this.”

Adams was screaming for help, “the loudest, most horrifying thing I’ve ever heard come out of me,” and eventually she was able to kick the man off her.

She quickly got up and heard someone replying to her screams — who turned out to be another one of her dog-walking clients. The client told the couple they needed to leave, and that she and Adams needed to go separately from them.

Once the attackers were gone, Adams said she broke down and cried. She went into shock, and even tried to resume walking the dogs with her injuries. But after several minutes, she called the police, who met her at the park.

She gave police the videos, and Const. Mansoor Sahak told Daily Hive the force has identified the suspects.

“The investigation is ongoing and we will provide an update once it’s available,” he said.

Adams wonders why it’s been more than two weeks since the attack and no arrests have been made. She added that the witness, her client who came when she was screaming, hasn’t had her statement taken yet by officers.

The story has gained widespread attention, with some people urging Adams to name and shame the suspects. Adams doesn’t see the point in that — since they’ve already been identified by police.

“I just don’t want to encourage any more hate or anger,” she said. “I haven’t had any [update from the RCMP], and I’m fending off people who want, you know… vigilante justice. I will not encourage that.”

Physically, the attack left Adams bruised and feeling like a “piece of tenderized meat” for several days. Sixteen days later, she’s back on trails for work, but mentally “it’s a struggle.”

“I’m waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of my own voice screaming for help. My head is constantly on a swivel,” she said. “When someone does something like that to you, it’s indescribable. You feel like half the person you were before it happened.”

She’s angry that the strangers felt it was acceptable to put their hands on her, and she’s disappointed police haven’t acted faster — leaving her to question whether the incident is going to be let go.

But she still hopes that people can spread positive energy on the trails because that’s what she wants to see instead of aggression.

“Let’s flood our local trails with kindness and let people know that aggression and negativity and physical violence has no place in our community.”