The dog that bit a seven-year-old Cochrane boy on Jan. 12 has been euthanized.
Calgary Animal Services’ experts made the decision following a behavioral assessment of the two-year-old female pit bull that attacked Tyler Benjamin (known as Tyler LeClaire) on Jan. 24.
The dog was euthanized the following day.
The family of the boy, as well as the dog’s previous owner, has been notified.
“It’s what we wanted, but if they could have done something to save the dog, that would have been okay too,” said Ron LeClaire, the boy’s father.
The pit bull was supposed to be assessed following a 10-day quarantine period, but a few extra days were taken because of the dog’s violent behavior, said LeClaire.
“I was waiting for the phone call, but they had to take some extra time because no one could get near the dog to assess her,” he said.
“This just shows that the right decision was made. If the dog had gone to another family — who knows what would have happened? Maybe this time it wouldn’t be a trip to the hospital, it may be a trip to a funeral home.”
There are no plans to ban any pit bull breeds from Cochrane, said Sgt. Charlene Ruttle in a press release from the Town of Cochrane.
“In Cochrane, we emphasize the importance of responsible pet ownership based on good education and training,” said Ruttle, who led the investigation by the Cochrane Community Peace Officers. “The general trend across Canada is towards education and away from outright bans of particular breeds.”
Now released from the hospital, Tyler continues his recovery at home in Cochrane.
