CANADA -- A woman, who says her niece suffered serious facial injuries after the two-year-old was mauled by a dog, is angry that the animal in question was not euthanized despite a previous reported biting incident.
"This shouldn't have happened," Angela Michaud said through tears, as she looked over at Nova Finora, her head covered in heavy bandages.
"That little girl could have been killed."
Michaud says her boyfriend Tyler Pinkerton and his niece sustained multiple puncture wounds Thursday after they were attacked by a dog in the backyard of home on Ryerson Cr.
She said Nova, who turns two next week, suffered numerous bites to her head. She underwent surgery on Saturday.
Tyler required dozens of stitches to close gashes to his face and arms.
Michaud said the family has since discovered the same dog was the focus of a bite complaint last month.
"Something should have been done before," she said.
Janelle Nystrom reported in May that she had been bitten by the dog. She described the animal as a pit bull or pit bull mix, which are prohibited in Ontario under the controversial pit bull ban.
An amendment to the Dog Owner's Liability Act in 2005 made it illegal to own dogs such as Staffordshire bull terriers or "dogs that have an appearance and physical characteristics substantially similar to any of those dogs."
Jay Desroches, general manager of the Niagara Falls Humane Society, said the owner has provided documentation that the dog is an American bull dog which exempts it from the prohibition.
According to a report by the Niagara Regional Police, a man was holding the toddler in the backyard of the dog owner's home when he tripped and fell to the ground.
"After he tripped and fell, the dog attacked," said NRP Sgt. Mike Woods.
Police said no criminal charges will be laid in connection with the incident.
The dog's owner, Tammy Chappell, insists her dog named Isabella did not bite the child. She said the child scraped her head on playground equipment.
She described her dog as "loving and playful" and a member of her family.
The dog was seized by the humane society the night of the incident and retrieved by the owner the following day.
"We had no recourse to legally hold the dog," Desroches said.
The City of Niagara Falls, not the local animal shelter, is responsible investigating dog bite complaints. Franco Piscitelli, manager of enforcement operations at the city, said a formal complaint had not been filed as of Monday morning.
Bylaw enforcement officers investigate dog bite complaints and it is up to the regional prosecutor to determine if any charges will be laid.
If charges are laid, a hearing is held and a Justice of the Peace decides if there should be controls put on the dog such as requiring the animal to be muzzled. The Justice of the Peace can also order the dog be destroyed.
The humane society returned to the property on Saturday and seized the dog on an unrelated matter.
It will remain under quarantine at the shelter until Sunday.
"The dog still belongs to the owner," Desroches explained.
"It will be held here for the duration of the quarantine period and then a decision will have to be made whether the dog will go back home or gets surrendered to us," he said.
(Niagara Falls Review - June 25, 2012)
