The family of a boy who was sent to hospital after an off-leash dog attack at a downtown 海角社区官网playground is moved by the outpouring of support from neighbours they’ve received.
“I would like to thank you all for thinking of me and my family. I鈥檓 feeling better. My parents are feeling better,鈥 the boy wrote in a note penned by him and his mother to the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association and community members. The family’s lawyer shared the note with the Star, adding the family wants to maintain their privacy at this time.
Capo, the dog involved in the incident at Little Norway Park,聽was under a Dangerous Dog Order聽for a previous attack and was required to be muzzled and leashed whenever off the owner’s property.聽Patrycja Siarek, his owner, was聽charged with four counts聽including criminal negligence causing bodily harm, and failure to prevent an attacking dog bite to a person. Capo, along with Siarek’s two other dogs, were seized.
Following this incident and amid聽the rise in dog attacks聽in Toronto, many have been left with questions about enforcement on this issue 鈥 and more urgently, what happens now to this dangerous dog?
The child who was attacked by a dog in Little Norway Park on March 23 wrote a note penned by him and his mother to the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association and community members.
HandoutWhat happens to Capo now?
According to the 海角社区官网Police Service (TPS), Capo is currently in a 海角社区官网Animal Services (TAS) shelter and will be until the conclusion of the criminal case against his owner.聽
While 海角社区官网Animal Services was unable to provide comment on Capo’s case specifically, citing it is an active investigation, Esther Attard, head of TAS, did provide the Star with statements about what generally聽happens after an animal is seized:
It is held in a kennel in a TAS shelter. An animal control bylaw officer investigates the case to determine and recommend a course of action, which may include recommending the dog’s euthanasia. It is then reviewed by a supervisor or manager before a final decision is made.
Factors considered when deciding if a dog is to be euthanized include the circumstances of the incident, the severity of the attacks and if there has been non-compliance with previous orders.聽
If a dog is determined to be euthanized, the owner has 30 days to appeal.
Who is responsible for enforcement?
Police are responsible for the criminal aspects of the case, while Animal Services are responsible for handling the dog.
TAS and TPS do not have general authority to enter a dog owner鈥檚 residence, seize animals or euthanize a dangerous dog; they need a warrant from the court.聽If a warrant is granted to allow seizure, the dog is removed and charges are prepared, along with a 聽request for euthanasia based on evidence collected. This must proceed through a court order.聽
In serious dog attacks, there are a number of laws that can apply. There are criminal charges that can be laid, as well as charges under the Dog Owners Liability Act. There are also municipal bylaws, which are handled by Animal Services, including Dangerous Dog Orders (DDO). 海角社区官网City Council聽recently passed changes to strengthen enforcement and compliance聽of DDOs.聽
What happens when someone reports an aggressive dog?
In 2023, TAS says there were 2,726 service requests for potentially dangerous acts by dogs, up from 2,653 in 2022. These recent incidents have put the issue of enforcement under scrutiny. One problem is that it takes a serious incident like an attack or bite to happen before much can be done with an animal that appears aggressive.
Cathy Crowe, a well-known former street nurse and educator in Toronto, finds the threshold for the city to intervene frustrating.
An aggressive dog in her downtown building has lunged at her several times, she says, and she has reported the incidents to the city, but she’s been finding it difficult to get answers or action.
“It’s easy to report a dangerous dog. But it’s not easy because once you hit the system, once you open that door, you reach roadblock after roadblock after roadblock. You are told different things by different officers,” said Crowe.聽
“The act of menacing behaviour is open to interpretation, and the term dangerous is open to interpretation,” she said.
She says she has spoken to a bylaw officer but received little follow-up. One thing she was told was if she wanted to get a copy of her complaint, she would need to submit a freedom of information (FOI) request to the city.聽
A city spokesperson told the Star the FOI is necessary to see the full complaint for privacy reasons, since it would have the information of the alleged offender.聽
As a former nurse, Crowe suggests there should be triage tool, where there should be some way for the city to grade and assess a dog threat and a way to escalate it depending on the situation.
The city says it has several processes in place, and any reported dog issue has an animal control bylaw officer investigate by phoning the parties involved within 24 hours.聽
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