Winnipeggers raise money for dog stabbed after St. Boniface homicide

Winnipeg police say 35-year-old Melissa Gabriel stabbed 89-year-old Dorothy Dykens to death over the weekend, and then went home and stabbed her own landlord's dog, Dotty.

Dotty was seriously injured and now friends are trying to raise money to save the dog.

• Dorothy Dykens, 89, identified as Winnipeg homicide victim
• Neighbours of slain St. Boniface woman relieved they didn't open door to suspect 

Investigators taped off a home in the 400 block of Tremblay Street in St. Boniface Sunday morning after Gabriel called 911. Police said when they arrived, Gabriel appeared drunk.

Based on the circumstances, they decided to do a sweep of the area. Police eventually found Dykens dead in her home. They also found Dotty had been stabbed in the home across the street where Gabriel was living as a tenant.

"It was very shocking circumstances. Here we are dealing with the death of a person, that is huge, and then a dog that has also been stabbed," said Nicole Molin, a friend of Gabriel's landlord and Dotty's owner Nina Kaczmarek.

Kaczmarek was out of town over the weekend but got home Wednesday afternoon. She went to visit Dotty at the veterinarian.

Molin said Kaczmarek has spent her life helping others as a nurse, foster parent, home-care worker, and has always been the type to take in animals that needed a home.

That's why her family and friends have launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for the thousands of dollars in vet bills associated with treating Dotty's injuries.

"Helping Dotty for me is helping Nina," said Molin. "For me it's showing Nina that we care, that we appreciate everything she has done for others."

Gabriel has been charged with manslaughter, killing or injuring an animal and two counts of probation violation. She remains in police custody.

As of Wednesday night, the GoFundMe page had already raised more than $1,000 dollars.

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