Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city

Houses and mobile homes are seen in an aerial view in a residential neighbourhood, in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.

Kamloops community services manager Will Beatty said the drugs were found in the dogs' systems after they hopped a fence and mauled a 13-year-old border collie to death on Sept. 8.

Beatty said an investigation involving the city, veterinarians and animal behaviour specialists found the pit bulls beyond rehabilitation.

In an interview Thursday, Beatty said the decision to apply to have the dogs euthanized wasn't "made lightly."

"It's made with a heavy heart in multiple ways," he said.

"It's a very passionate scenario. You've got dog owners that have dogs that they love that they have never seen those dogs do this before. You also have a ... dog owner that is grieving the loss of their dog."

Beatty said he's "responsible to ensure that the community is safe, that all dogs are being kept in a responsible manner."

"In this situation, based on professional reports, it's indicated that these dogs cannot be rehabilitated," he said.

The dogs lived on Jasper Avenue on the city's north shore and were caught by Kamloops bylaw officials after killing the border collie.

Beatty said the city is going to provincial court to get authorization to destroy the animals, and no charges have been brought against their owner by police or the SPCA.

He said it's unclear and difficult to determine how the dogs consumed the drugs.

"You have to also look at the totality of circumstances," he said. "Did they ingest them in (the) community or did they ingest them at the actual house itself?"

He said the drugs the dogs consumed could have played a role in the deadly mauling, but the city is still seeking to have the animals put down.

Daria Evans, centre manager with the Kamloops SPCA, said in an interview that dogs deemed a public safety risk fall outside of the society's scope and are handled by municipal authorities.

Evans said there had been situations over the years with dogs and cats coming in that have ingested "narcotics of various kinds," but the cases are rare and maybe happen once a year.

With files from Paul James, CHNL 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.