Cheryl Zanchetta said she has completed her investigation into the attack and will not pursue a destruction order for the dogs in question.
“Both parties were walking their dogs on private property,” she said. “The only dog that was leashed during the incident was the larger dog, the brown Rottweiler cross. We have determined through statements received and interviews that the Retriever was off leash and wandered up to the other two dogs in a friendly manner. After the initial approach an altercation ensued.”
She said the injuries to Danielle Bluestone’s hands resulted from her placing her hands around the dog’s mouth, and not because of aggression directed towards her by the dog.
She noted the owner of the two dogs immediately left the scene and contacted the RCMP and the Regional District Office and reported the incident.
“In order to successfully get an order for destruction on a dog there usually has to be more than one aggressive incident, typically involving dog on human aggression, severe injuries and a lack of responsibility on the part of the dog owner to prevent further incidents,” she said. “This situation does not meet this criteria.”
Zanchetta said the incident, while unfortunate, is “somewhat typical of dog behaviour when you have multiple dogs off leash and one dog on a leash meeting unexpectedly On a trail. It also demonstrates how people get injured while attempting to separate dog fights.”
She recommended that anyone finding themselves in a similar situation grab the nearest dog by the back leg and attempt to pull the dog off, keeping their hands and face away form the dogs’ mouths to prevent injury.
“We also recommend leashing your dog when walking in a public place where you may come into contact with unfamiliar dogs,” she said.
Bluestone was said she was disappointed with the ruling.
“It’s just about as much as I had thought,” she said. “It’s a slap on the wrist and go let your doggies terrorize and maybe kill somewhere else.”
(Parksville Qualicum Beach News - March 3, 2012)
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