Lab/Husky cross kills toy poodle (Saanich, BC)

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/69302802.html?c=y&curSection=/vancouver_island_south/victorianews&curTitle=BC%20News
Dog identified in attack on poodle
By Kyle Slavin - Saanich News
Published: November 05, 2009 11:00 AM
Updated: November 05, 2009 11:55 AM

The dog that killed a five-month-old toy poodle Tuesday morning has been identified by Saanich pound officers.

The a labrador/husky cross was identified Wednesday afternoon. The owners have been fined $150 and the animal was deemed dangerous.

Sgt. Julie Fast with the Saanich police said a group of two or three men who were believed to be with the dog at the time of the attack were completely unrelated to the incident, and the animal had escaped from the backyard of a home in the 800 block of Darwin Avenue.

The owners unintentionally left their back gate open and their two dogs escaped. Before the owners could get home to close the gate, the animals had already returned.
"(The owners) were completely unaware that one: the dogs had escaped, and two: that their lab/husky cross had been involved in an attack," said Fast.

The owners were issued a $150 ticket under the animal control bylaw for having their dogs at large.

As part of the conditions of the labrador/husky being deemed a dangerous dog, it must be muzzled and leashed whenever it is out in public, warning signs must be displayed on the property, and the owners must ensure the animal is kept either inside the home or in a fully enclosed pen.

"We won't be seeking a destruction order for this dog," said Fast.

Saanich pound officer Susan Ryan said officers would only seek a destruction order for the animal if there had been any aggression or attacks in its past.

Edith Dixon, whose toy poodle Kiki was attacked twice around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, said based on the unprovoked aggression displayed by the dog, she feels it may attack again.

Fast said police received an influx of calls from witnesses who helped identify the two dogs who were running along the Galloping Goose trail off leash.

Commuters on the trail spotted the dogs near Saanich Road half an hour before the attacks, and they documented the dog licence numbers, which helped greatly in identifying the animals, Fast said.

Apart from monitoring the owners follow the conditions of the dangerous dog bylaw, no further action will be pursued by police or the pound.