Calgary bylaw officers charged two dog owners in relation to a fatal dog attack that killed eighty-six-year-old Betty Ann Williams, who was gardening in a back alley when the three dogs escaped from a neighboring property and attacked her. Paramedics took Williams to the hospital in a life-threatening condition, and she died shortly after. The owners of the three dogs, Denis Bagaric and Talyn Calkins, have been jointly charged with twelve offences under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, including three offences for an animal attack on a person causing severe injury, three offences for an animal attack to a person, three offences for an animal bite to a person, and three offences for an animal running at large. The charges result in a mandatory appearance in the Provincial Court of Alberta, with each offence carrying a maximum penalty of $10,000 if convicted or up to six months imprisonment for a fine that remains unpaid. Given that the owners were jointly charged, there is a maximum penalty of $120,000 if convicted of all the offences. A hearing for the charges is scheduled for September 14th. Community peace officers seized the dogs involved, and the city filed a Dangerous Dog Act application to the Court of Queen’s Bench to have the dogs euthanized. The dogs will continue to be held pending the result of the application. Calgary police continue to investigate the incident in relation to potential criminal charges. Read more here and here.
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