DOG ATTACK – City wants three canines involved in death of collie put down
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
The three pit bulls that killed a collie in its back yard last month will be put to death if a City application is successful.
Community Services manager Will Beatty issued a statement today (Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024) saying an investigation has found that the three dogs can’t be rehabilitated or safely secured in a way that protects the public.
The dogs have remained in Community Services custody since the Sept. 8 incident, in which they jumped a fence into the collie’s Richmond Avenue yard and attacked it..
Today’s statement said the Community Services Division has conducted a thorough investigation under the Dog Responsibility and Control Bylaw No. 34-42.
“As part of the investigation, a veterinarian and an animal behaviour specialist assessed the animals. Their opinions, along with the other evidence gathered, have informed our decisions moving forward.
“Based on the cumulative evidence, the City believes that the seized dogs cannot be safely rehabilitated, nor can safety measures be imposed on the dogs in a way that adequately protects public safety and prevents future injuries to humans or animals.
“As such, a Provincial Court application has been filed pursuant to section 49(10) of the Community Charter, SBC 2003, C. 26, seeking a declaration that all three dogs involved in the incident are dangerous dogs as defined in the Community Charter, and an order that the animals be humanely euthanized.”
The statement concluded, “The safety and well-being of our community and their pets remains a key priority. We understand the gravity of this event and the distress it has caused both the owners and the broader community. We sincerely appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we continue to navigate this difficult situation with the parties involved.”
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Investigation properly done,
proper professionals (veterinarian, animal behaviour specialist) assessment done,
reasonable decision reached to protect the public,
… only thing left is to send the bill for all of it, to the owner.
At the end of the day, this only happened because the owner didn’t know how to or was unwilling to raise and handle the dogs properly. Its not unreasonable to not expect the taxes of the owners of the dog they killed … to pay for any of this … or any of us.
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According to an NL report, the dogs were high on meth and cocaine. Not kidding.
Charges against the owners “are not anticipated.” Not even animal cruelty? Since when is it ok to give dogs street drugs?
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According to info contained in the article on “infotel” news site, urine tests taken from the dogs revealed the presence of certain ‘illegal drugs’.
Ownership of two dogs plus licensing was mentioned (a different address involved?) but the third had no mention. It sounded like a pretty tough environment to expect much else from the dogs except for behaviour that caused the death of an innocent Collie.
Were they shared assets amongst folks who may have been the source for the illicit drugs found in the dogs’ urine?
Bottom line: a horrific end of life experience for an innocent dog that was in its own yard. The dog’s owner is probably traumatized for a long time to come.
Too bad there can’t be something done if and when there are warning signs. I’m not sure some people should ever have a dog.
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Exactly why drug addicts should not have animals. If you can’t even care for yourself, you don’t need another mouth to feed, or in this case, feed drugs to.
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