Saskatoon judge clears way for death of dog involved in fatal attack
A judge has cleared the way for a dog that fatally attacked another dog in Saskatoon to be killed.
A justice of the peace ordered the destruction of Anita Ahenakew's mixed-breed pitbull after she pleaded guilty under the Dangerous Animals Bylaw.
Ahenakew asked a King's Bench judge to overturn the decision but the appeal was dismissed on Nov. 9.
According to a court document, on Oct. 9, 2021, Ahenakew's dog — Gracie — seized another dog by the throat and shook her. The other dog, named Annie, died from her injuries.
Annie's owner, Bev Ashwin, spoke with CTV News last month
"I looked down and the pitbull had picked up Annie and shook her like a stuffed toy and she was dead," Ashwin said at the time. "It was a matter of seconds."
Ashwin expressed frustration over Ahenakew's appeal, feeling that it was only dragging on the process.
"The loss has ruined my life," Ashwin said, explaining she thinks about her dog's grisly death every day.
Ahenakew's appeal argued the justice of the peace did not adequately consider lesser alternatives to ending Gracie's life, such as a promise to never travel with the dog — instead leaving her at Ahenakew's Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation home.
Ahenakew also said the fact her dog could be muzzled and a chain link fence around her yard could be considered mitigating factors.
Her appeal also argued the justice of the peace should have considered the fact that Gracie had never attacked another dog before as a mitigating factor rather than a sign of potentially erratic behaviour.
The presiding King's Bench justice Grant Currie dismissed Ahenakew's appeal, finding no issues with the original ruling.
"The justice of the peace did consider such less severe options before concluding that destruction was necessary," Currie wrote in his decision.
While Currie's decision leaves Gracie's destruction order in place, he ruled she can not be killed within 30 days of his Nov. 9 decision to allow time in the event Ashwin is able to mount another appeal.
--With files from Keenan Sorokan
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.