'We could have been dead': Calgary dog attack victims push for stricter penalties

Victims hurt in two separate Calgary dog attacks are pushing for the city to hold dog owners more accountable after violent incidents.

Sharon Beaton and her Chihuahua were injured after being attacked by two terrier-type dogs on in the northeast community of Thorncliffe on Aug. 22.

Beaton received stitches after being bitten on her arm and hands, while her dog underwent surgery for puncture wounds.

"I’m still traumatized," she said. "I think about it 24-7. I don’t sleep. I’m frustrated."

According to the city, the owner of the dogs faces six fines, and has transferred ownership of one of the dogs to the city. The dog in the city's care will likely be euthanized, officials said, while a vicious dog designation is being sought for the dog now back in the owner’s custody.

Beaton is frustrated one of the dogs has been returned to the owner.

"The other dog did just as much damage," she said. "I’m afraid it’s going to get out again and do it to somebody else. I just don’t understand how many complaints it takes before something is really done. We could have been dead."

Mel Parkinson, who oversees aggressive animal investigations for the City of Calgary, says the dog that caused most damage was removed from the home, a tactic which has been shown to reduce risk in the community.

"They feed off each other, we see that all the time with aggressive incidents with two dogs," Parkinson said.

"By removing one dog from the home, we believe the other dog will be more manageable in the house."

Parkinson says bylaw officers are in frequent communication with the dog's owner while they seek a vicious dog status, which can take months, to ensure conditions are being followed.

Nathan Goring lives nearby and witnessed the two dogs escape from their yard before they took off down the street.

"Before I could even chase them down in my car, they had already latched onto a woman and her dog, so I basically had to cross the street and pry this pit bull off a tiny little dog that they’re trying to pry out of her hands," he said.

Goring said the dogs have been a been a problem in the community for years, and has even phoned the city with concerns about them after the pair went after his wife and young daughter while loose in May.

"Those dogs have been out at least five times that we’ve seen," Goring said.

"I’ve gone around the community to let people know, and other people have let me know they’ve actually called about those same dogs over the last year or two.

"Why can they get away with so much?" Goring questioned.

"It’s just baffling to think it’s such a fight just to make it so we can walk around our street safely when we know there’s a threat."

Parkinson acknowledges that complaints have been made about the dogs in the past, but said officers weren’t able to confirm the details of those complaints.

"If we don’t get the evidence we need to substantiate that, then it’s hard for us to investigate.

"When we get a case like this where we saw a large report of complaints, it can be frustration, because we do take historic data to make a vicious dog designation and less weight is put on files we couldn’t conclusively put evidence on."

Charges reduced in Auburn Bay dog attacks

Joey, an Australian Shepherd, was injured in a dog attack in Auburn Bay on Feb. 25, 2024. (Supplied)Across the city in Auburn Bay, a man whose dogs were attacked by two pit bull terriers in February is also calling for change to city bylaws.

Greg, who wanted to keep his last name anonymous for safety concerns, was bitten several times in the attack, before the dogs took off and killed a nearby Pomeranian being walked by a 70-year-old woman.

"There’s no implications to having your dogs running at large," he said.

Following the attack, the city laid 18 charges against the owner, but that was reduced to five charges on Aug. 26. The dogs have since been returned to their owner.

One of the dogs was given a vicious dog designation and the other a dangerous dog status, which both carry different conditions.

"Shocked and disgusted with the justice system or parts of the justice system," said Greg’s wife Jennifer.

"This needs to be stopped," she said. "And if it is happening, there needs to be some level of deterrent and justice for those that are victimized in these cases."

Parkinson said bylaw officers did suggest the dogs in this attack be euthanized, but don’t have the final say.

"As in the case in Auburn Bay, we went to the courts and asked the dogs be put down, and the courts disagreed with us.

"We can put forth our best case, and from there we learn from it," she said. "The courts aren’t going to euthanize a dog lightly, they are people’s property. So, what they are inclined to do is put conditions on the dogs to be sure it can be managed well, and more often than not those conditions are successful.

"We’ve had very, very, very few dogs that have reoffended when they’ve been on conditions."

According to the city, there were 185 dog bites in Calgary in 2023, up from each of the previous three years.

Below: Calgary dog attack statistics from the City of Calgary

• 2015 – 243;
• 2016 – 228;
• 2017 – 214;
• 2018 – 233;
• 2019 – 211;
• 2020 – 161;
• 2021 – 165;
• 2022 – 167; and
• 2023 – 185.

NOTE: Numbers indicate bites to humans ranging from minor puncture wounds to severe injury.

Parkinson says the reduction in numbers from 2020 to 2022 was likely due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions which kept more people home.

Greg and Jennifer are now calling on the city to make changes to how complaints about dogs and attacks are treated.

"The system need to change, both proactively and reactively," said Jennifer. "It’s just going to keep happening because nothing changes at the top and there isn’t a proactive system, there is a reactive system."