Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator — 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
'I was called;' Murray Sinclair's life and legacy honoured at emotional memorial
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
Children's book by chef Jamie Oliver withdrawn after criticism from Indigenous Australians
A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.
Montreal dockworkers reject deal with lockout to begin
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
Man shot by police in Hamilton has died, victim did 'not appear' to fire a gun, says SIU
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province’s police watchdog.
Liberals to face third test in federal byelection in British Columbia next month
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
Elon Musk exerts deepening influence on Donald Trump's presidential transition
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club has been brimming in the last 48 hours with two kinds of people: those angling for a job in the president-elect’s incoming administration, and those trying to influence him into hiring their picks for the top spots.
25 monkeys recovered after dozens escape in South Carolina. Others 'jumping back and forth' near research facility
Tenty-five of the 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been recovered, officials said Sunday.
Abuse, harassment and suicide: Report finds anti-Black racism exists at highest levels of federal government
A government-funded report released to CTV News highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.