Mother says dog that bit son should be killed

The mom of a young boy who was bit by a dog in the northern community of Mackenzie said she doesn’t want to see the dog put down, but believes they’ve been left with no other options.

“I’d love to see the dog re-homed out of the community, properly trained, muzzled or leashed,” said Shannon Barton on Wednesday.

“We don’t want to just jump on this and kill this animal.

“There are other options but I believe the other options were refused and this is what we’re left with.”

In March 2015, Barton’s then four-year-old son Jesse was being babysat in a home where Spartan, a shepherd-husky, also lived.

The dog bit the boy, who suffered puncture wounds and bruising around parts of his face, but didn’t require stitches.

An animal-control officer seized the dog and placed him in a kennel. An application was filed to have Spartan declared dangerous and euthanized, something a judge granted in September.

Earlier this week, another judge gave Spartan and his owners, Mitch Mortensen and Tammy Gibson, a second chance, after granting the dog a stay of execution and an order for a new hearing. The judge rejected the submission that the Provincial Court judge who ordered the execution was biased, but did find that the owners should have been able to question the animal- control officer. Barton said she was upset to hear the news this week, saying it’s been overwhelming for her family and her young son to relive the incident.

She says her son now hides whenever he sees dogs in public. Previously, Barton’s son had interacted with Spartan and other dogs and had been fine.

“I don’t hate dogs — I love dogs. I’ve had big dogs,” said Barton. “I just don’t want to see the dog harmed but we’re running into a system where this is the only route we’re running into. It’s a tough situation.”