Greater Victoria woman fights for better animal controls after off-leash dog attack

A woman in Greater Victoria is advocating for change to animal control bylaws after her small dog was attacked at an off-leash park in Saanich. 

Christine Allen, 45, says she wants to see more accountability for aggressive and dangerous dog owners, more specific rules around what it means for a dog to be "under control" in an off-leash park, and fines that automatically cover restitution costs for the owners of dogs that are attacked. 

"I really do feel that I need to say something and stand up," Allen told CBC News. "I know that a lot of people feel helpless, and it's how I was feeling."

The Capital Regional District says its animal control bylaws are currently under review.

Experts like animal lawyer Victoria Shroff say that dog attacks are common and agree that bylaw changes are needed. However, she cautions against giving bylaw officers with little or no formal animal training too much authority. 

"What I would like to see is a system that has more transparency and that also includes veterinarians in the evaluations," Shroff says.

'That dog was going to kill Charlie'

Allen says her two-year-old miniature Aussie doodle, Charlie, was attacked while she was walking along a path in Tyndall Park a few weeks ago.

Charlie was on a leash, Allen says, because he can be a bit reactive. She says another dog came up to Charlie. 

The interaction was fine at first, she says, but quickly changed after Charlie lunged at the other dog while he was still on the leash.

Allen says she picked Charlie up, but the other dog managed to pull him out of her arms. 

"I knew that dog was going to kill Charlie. So I had a second to think: do I protect my dog and put myself in harm's way or ... do I leave it and let it happen? And I just had no choice."

Allen says she managed to kick the other dog away until its owner, who Allen says had been sitting about 10 metres away and looking at his phone, finally came over to pull it away.

She got the owner's phone number and rushed Charlie to the vet. 

Lucky dog

Charlie required several stitches and a few appointments for follow-up care. 

Although Allen has pet insurance, she says many of the costs Charlie has incurred aren't deductible. She says so far, the other dog owner has refused to pay her for those bills. 

Feltham Animal Hospital veterinarian Ilona Houston has checked on Charlie since the incident occurred. Houston says Charlie was lucky — his injuries were relatively minor compared to others she has seen. 

"This year alone, I think we've had four or five quite serious dog attacks come through here," she said. 

Warning vs aggressive label

Allen contacted the Capital Regional District (CRD), which Saanich contracts to enforce animal control bylaws. A bylaw officer initially told her the other dog owner would be given a warning. 

"I thought, 'How can you give him a warning?' This dog went after my dog to the point of wanting to kill him," Allen said. "To me, at minimum, the dog should be on a leash and be trained."

After CBC News contacted the CRD, a spokesperson said the case was being re-evaluated and the other dog would be labelled as aggressive. 

Ilona Houston, Charlie's veterinarian, agrees that a dog attack of that severity is unusual. 

"A dog that seriously hurts another dog, that is not typical behaviour," Houston says. "We don't expect to see that. And if that behaviour has been seen, it should be taken very seriously."

In Saanich, aggressive dogs must be kept on a non-retractable leash at all times when outdoors and must wear a muzzle. The "aggressive" label can be removed after six months if the dog has completed behaviour training. 

The CRD says it's in the early stages of updating its animal control bylaws. Potential updates could include a more rigorous definition of what it means for a dog to be "under control" at an off-leash park and steeper fines for dangerous or aggressive dog owners. 

But the regional district only controls bylaws within its jurisdiction. Municipalities that contract with the district for animal control can have their own bylaws. 

'We really need to educate owners'

Houston says some aggressive behaviour like lunging, growling and snapping can be normal. She says veterinarians are experienced and trained to evaluate those actions in a specific context. 

"We see dogs exhibit behaviours like that all the time here in clinic when they're scared, nervous or in pain," she says. "And it doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be deemed a dangerous dog."

Animal lawyer Shroff says she would like to see veterinarians as part of a panel of experts who decide whether a dog should be labelled as aggressive or dangerous. 

She says she's supportive of updating animal control bylaws to add clarity around dog owners' rights and responsibilities.

"Dog attacks are happening ever increasingly," she said. 

"We really need to educate owners, and we need to talk to them about bite prevention."