Police looking for possible witness to animal that attacked 8-year-old

The investigation into a suspected animal attack on a child in a rural Ottawa Valley town is continuing, police said in an update, and they are hoping to find a man they believe could help them.

The eight-year-old, from Quadeville, Ont., a small area northwest of Calabogie, was found June 24 suffering from serious injuries from a suspected animal attack. The young child was found on Quadeville Road at 12:30 a.m. by search and rescue teams and was rushed to CHEO, where she remains in stable condition, recovering from her serious injuries, police said in an update July 4.

Officials are saying that they are working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and animal experts to identify the cause of the attack. Part of this work to understand what happened is looking for possible witnesses who were in the Quadevill area prior to the incident.

Police said that the individual they believe could assist the case is not the subject of the investigation, but could help officials piece together what happened.

Officials are looking for:

• Male in his 60s
• Grey and white hair
• Possibly with white facial hair
• Last seen wearing a black leather jacket with a white motorcycle helmet
• Owns a grey or black motorcycle described as a Ducati or Suzuki style
• Used to live in the Killaloe or Bonnechere Valley area
• Possibly from the United States

OPP are reminding parents to be vigilant in the wake of this situation and keep their small children under close supervision while outdoors. Animal traps have been set in the area by the ministry as a precautionary measure.

Update from the child’s guardians

In a tearful video, Robert Bard thanked the outpouring of support his family has gotten after the incident. He and Gerri Bard are the guardians of the 8-year-old.

“I just want to thank everybody for the prayer and the support and everything else,” Robert Bard said in a video on June 26. “She’s doing good, in stable condition, but they aren’t sure if she could have more surgeries… Anything can happen between now and then.”

This event has shaken the small community. Local Pastor, Joseph Fiorentino, said it is tight-knit, and everyone knows her as a young girl with a kind personality and beautiful smile. A GoFundMe started by Fiorentino has more than double the original fundraising goal within days, however, he said that further efforts will be needed over the many months.

On Saturday July 5, 2025, there will be a fundraising “cold” supper at the Quadeville Community Centre (965 Addington Rd) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets for adults are $15; 7 to 10-year-olds are $10; six and under are free.