diff --git a/samples/balloon/balloon.py b/samples/balloon/balloon.py
index 7f4d34d421103643570727f36f3d01c9ee099acb..8b54e90a5fe98479ae594e8d1e526978a6746a2b 100644
--- a/samples/balloon/balloon.py
+++ b/samples/balloon/balloon.py
@@ -120,7 +120,10 @@ class BalloonDataset(utils.Dataset):
             # Get the x, y coordinaets of points of the polygons that make up
             # the outline of each object instance. There are stores in the
             # shape_attributes (see json format above)
-            polygons = [r['shape_attributes'] for r in a['regions'].values()]
+            if type(a['regions']) is dict:
+                polygons = [r['shape_attributes'] for r in a['regions'].values()]
+            else:
+                polygons = [r['shape_attributes'] for r in a['regions']] 
 
             # load_mask() needs the image size to convert polygons to masks.
             # Unfortunately, VIA doesn't include it in JSON, so we must read