Owner of mauled dog seeks ‘justice’

Committee hears defence of existing fines, seeks law on ‘nuisance dogs’

Christine Naturkach hopes the city imposes tougher penalties for dangerous dogs after her pet was killed by a German shepherd last year in an off-leash park.

“I think the fines don’t really do it justice. When we were in court the gentleman laughed at the fact that his dog wasn’t going to be euthanized,” she told council’s community services committee Tuesday.

“I don’t think he took it as seriously as he should.”

Naturkach was walking her Jack Russell terrier-schnauzer cross, Pixie, in the Hermitage off-leash area May 24, 2012, when the little dog was mauled by a German shepherd.

Despite vet treatment costing $8,000, Pixie died from her injuries four days later.

Naturkach said the shepherd’s owner was fined $100 for failing to control the animal plus $500 for the attack, but she’d like the penalty for such incidents boosted to $1,000 along with a mandatory court date.

“I feel like I failed to protect her. I feel this is the one positive thing I can do to honour her. … It’s a nightmare. I wish it was something I can forget, but I can’t.”

Councillors agreed to look at whether to increase the fine in these cases.

Coun. Ed Gibbons said he often sees owners and pets on opposite sides of off-leash areas, which usually means the animal won’t respond to instructions.

“How do you get control in dog parks, because there are different sizes of animals,” he said.

“My dog walks at my knee, because that’s the way it’s trained.”

David Aitken, manager of the community standards branch, said he’ll look into the issue, but he thinks the current punishment for attacks is appropriate compared with other city fines.

Serious incidents can already lead to a court hearing and fines of up to $10,000, he said.

As well, dogs that attack people or other animals can be classified as restricted, requiring tighter controls and higher licence fees, he said.

His department is also considering setting up citizen groups to monitor off-leash parks as part of a review to see how well the areas work.

The committee recommended council approve a bylaw to create a new class of nuisance dog to deal with animals whose owners have three convictions within three years for letting their animals bark excessively, for failing to pick up feces or those who allow their pets to run loose off the property.

Annual licences for these dogs will cost $100, rather than the $35 charged for other spayed or neutered pets, and if they break any of the three “nuisance dog” rules again owners will face a $250 fine instead of the standard $100 penalty.

As well, the city can impose extra conditions, such as requiring uncontrolled dogs be kept in a pen while outside, to stop offences from continuing.

The law is scheduled to take effect next Jan. 1.

Meanwhile, Naturkach is waiting for the outcome of a court case to recover vet expenses from the German shepherd’s owner.

She no longer takes her remaining dog, Bella, to offleash areas after the chihuahua cross was attacked twice by other animals, so she hopes the city can make these sites safer.

“As much as I would like to say they’re good for pet owners and the dogs, it’s irresponsible pet owners that ruin it for everyone.”