Teacher of N.S. dog attack victim wants him remembered for ‘extraordinary empathy’

Seth Renaud, a former teacher of Drew Nickerson, says he wants the young Nova Scotia boy to be remembered as someone who uplifted everyone around him.

“He was a kid with extraordinary empathy,” Renaud said.

The 13-year-old from Nova Scotia’s Shelburne County was attacked by three large-breed dogs while riding his bike in the community of Welshtown, N.S., on Jan. 3.

Police said Drew was airlifted to hospital in Halifax but later died from his injuries.

“He just seemed so fascinated with everything all the time,” said Renaud, who taught Drew in Grade 6.

“Drew had reminded us all (to) see the world that way, to be fascinated with it, to be curious about it.”

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Friends, family, and those who spent a lot of time with Drew are still grappling with the pain of his tragic death.

Renaud describes him as a kid who went out of his way to make others feel better, including his own teacher.

“One thing I remember is that, if I made kind of like a lame joke in front of the class and Drew saw no one else was laughing, he would laugh really hard,” he said.

Renaud spoke at the teen’s celebration of life this past Sunday, saying he was horrified when he heard the news.

“Memories started flooding in, and then I just, you know, I just started, I just started to weep,” he recalled.

RCMP have identified the dogs as two Cane Corsos and a Rottweiler. RCMP said the dogs were euthanized the day after the incident, and that the owners have been cooperative with the police investigation.

RCMP have also said there have not been any previous calls to police in relation to these dogs.

On Monday, the Municipality of Shelburne said it is reviewing its dog control bylaw amid growing concern from the community.

In a statement, the municipality said it continues to offer support, including psychologists and counsellors, to students and staff in their school communities.

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