Dog that attacked five-year-old Saskatoon boy involved in three other attacks
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
According to City Solicitor Cindy Yelland, the dog was involved in three violent incidents prior to attacking the child outside Meadowgreen Confectionary on March 22.
The dog killed a cat in 2020, attacked a cyclist in June 2021, and attacked another dog in July 2021, Yelland said.
“The Crown (City Solicitor’s Office) believed there was clear evidence the animal was dangerous. City prosecutors also did not believe the owner possessed the ability to safely manage the dog,” Yelland told CTV News.
At the time, she said prosecutors asked for the dog to be destroyed but the court declined, opting instead to place conditions for the animal that the owner was legally obligated to follow, including wearing a muzzle, being kept in an enclosure, getting behavioural training, and having regular appearance dates for monitoring.
Animal Control is responsible for making sure the owner follows the conditions of a dangerous animal order, but Yelland says they lost contact with the owner in March 2022 when the owner moved without telling the city.
“We were unable to locate the owner, leading us to believe they were transient. The whereabouts of the owner and the dog had been unknown until this attack.”
Following the attack last week, the city learned the dog had changed hands several times in the last year, and Yelland says it’s unclear whether the previous owners disclosed the dangerous animal order on the animal.
On Tuesday, city prosecutors issued a warrant for the dog’s seizure and it was “surrendered by the owners for destruction,” Yelland says.
After a mandatory 10-day waiting period, the dog will be euthanized, the city says.
Yelland says her office also expects to receive a prosecution request from the Saskatoon Animal Control Agency for the dog’s owner.
Correction
Based on information provided by the city solicitor, an earlier version of this story indicated the dog was declared dangerous in February 2021.
The city informed CTV News that was a typo. The dangerous animal order was issued on February 11, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.