VANCOUVER -- Days after a Coquitlam family's pet Pomeranian was allegedly attacked by a group of off-leash dogs, a man has been charged with several bylaw violations.
Authorities said the 36-year-old is charged with five counts of having an animal off-leash under Coquitlam's Animal Care and Control Bylaw. Each count carries a $150 fine.
The incident happened Monday evening in the Burke Mountain neighbourhood. Rosa Piroti said her parents were walking their 10-year-old Pomeranian, Romeo, when five other dogs attacked him.
The family said Romeo needed emergency vet care, which left them with a $2,000 bill.
They shared video of the aftermath of the attack on social media, which showed a man pointing his middle finger at them while walking away from the area.
Police said the video generated tips from the public that led them to their suspect, but Cpl. Michael McLaughlin still encouraged people to "avoid posting controversial incidents to social media."
"These videos never tell the full story and they often lead to tension and anger in the community. We want to avoid premature conclusions or people acting out of emotion," McLaughlin said in a news release.
The family told CTV News they want the dogs' owner to help cover their vet bill and "have his dogs properly trained."
Coquitlam RCMP said it has followed up with everyone involved, and encouraged people to use the civil court system if they want to pursue compensation.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Emad Agahi
