Dog named Kujo likely to 'kill or injure,' B.C. court rules in euthanasia decision
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
An animal control officer from Port Coquitlam applied to have Kujo labelled as dangerous and put down after the dog attacked a kennel employee and a shelter attendant in two separate incidents 11 months apart.
"He has bitten two different people, causing serious injuries," provincial court judge Wilson Lee wrote in a Jan. 27 decision. "I find that this is a strong indicator of the likelihood of his future actions."
The first attack happened in September 2021, when Kujo, who is described as being a "pit bull-type breed," was being kept at Countryside Kennels, a boarding and training business that was then used as Port Coquitlam's animal pound.
An employee entered Kujo's kennel to take him for a walk, but when she turned her back on the dog he "lunged at her, biting the thumb of her left hand and breaking through the nail," according to an agreed statement of facts in the case.
Kujo then bit the woman's arm and foot, while also tearing through her shirt.
Even after the employee managed to escape the kennel and close the door, the court decision noted that Kujo "continued to aggressively lunge and jump at her through the gate, trying to bite her fingers."
The second attack happened when an attendant at a different shelter took Kujo into the facility's courtyard in August 2022. After the woman petted Kujo, the dog's head suddenly turned in such a way that left her feeling unsafe, according to the decision. As she was getting up to leave, Kujo bit her hand.
That attendant "sustained three puncture wounds to her arm, soft tissue damage and a swollen wrist," the statement of facts reads.
The court heard Kujo belonged to a homeless woman who had been "unwilling or unable" to control the dog when he was free. The officer who applied for Kujo's dangerous dog designation said she had seen the animal running off-leash numerous times before, and believed him to be a public safety risk.
Kujo has been impounded since August 2019, following an incident near Castle Park Elementary School in which a passerby spotted the dog unleashed and tried to place a spare leash on his neck. Kujo became startled and bolted off, dragging the passerby along a gravel road and leaving her bruised and scratched.
Based on Kujo's history, Lee agreed to designate the dog as dangerous, which comes with strict conditions that many owners would have trouble meeting, including a requirement that the animal be kept securely confined in a locked enclosure, whether indoors or outdoors, and only taken out in public while leashed and muzzled.
"In cases such as this, the safety of the public is of primary importance," the judge wrote. "Given the evidence before me, I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Kujo is likely to kill or injure in future. This is especially the case because Kujo is frequently found at large, requiring him to be seized and impounded."
Lee also ordered that the animal be euthanized, but no sooner than 31 days from the date of his order.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.