Dangerous dog committee holds hearing, upholds muzzle order

The Dangerous Dog Committee upheld a muzzle order following incident.

A May 12 confrontation between two dogs, another dog being walked by a girl in the neighbourhood and other residents led to bylaw charges and a muzzle order, the latter being challenged last week.

After roughly 15 minutes of deliberating last Tuesday evening, the Amherstburg dangerous dog committee upheld the muzzle order. A town bylaw officer gave his side of the story followed by the appellants.

Video of the incident went online last month with the appellants breaking down video and showing what they contended was their dog being anxious and fearful as part of telling their side of the story.

Two Rottweilers are accused to have being running at large and approaching a girl walking her German Shephard named Maverick, a confrontation ensuing with minor injuries to two people being reported to the committee during the hearing. The muzzle order discussed June 9 centred more around one dog – Cole – as opposed to the other, Diesel.

Bylaw officer Nick Vespa said he arrived on scene around 10:13 a.m. with police cruisers already being on scene. He said police turned over the investigation to the bylaw department, with Vespa stating the Rottweiler owners were “very co-operative” during the investigation.

Olivia Nacklie, an owner of Cole, stated there have been no reported incidents before or after the matter that occurred May 12.

Vespa said he gathered witness statements, adding under questioning from the committee he had no update on Maverick.

Nacklie said in her view, Cole’s behaviour was consistent with a dog who was fearful and overwhelmed, stating her dogs are young. She said the video shows her dogs having items thrown at them and people attempting to kick them.

At other points in the video, Nacklie told the committee Cole went up to other children in the area, sniffed them and walked away, adding Cole was “existing in the same space with her and not engaging.”

“I do not believe an ongoing muzzle order is necessary,” she said.

Nacklie showed committee members upgrades to fencing and added additional obedience training is occurring.

Questions were raised by committee members about why the Rottweilers were running at large, but manager of licensing and enforcement B.J. Wilder stated the committee’s focus should be on whether or not to uphold the muzzle order.

Mayor Michael Prue was in attendance as an observer and sat in the gallery in the council chambers, but said after the hearing he will support the committee and its decision to uphold the muzzle order.

Prue said the committee faced “a difficult decision” and, in his opinion, he believed it would either come down to upholding the permanent muzzle order or modifying it with time limits. He believed it was “far too serious of an event” to see it withdrawn entirely.

“The committee is independent. It’s not part of council,” said Prue. “I came here to watch the process.”

Prue added it was the first time in his 32-year political career that he has seen a muzzle order challenged.

The mayor added the Rottweiler’s owner could still further challenge the muzzle order through the courts.

Dangerous dog committee holds hearing - upholds muzzle order

By Ron Giofu