An ordinary dog walk near a midtown Toronto park turned violent Thursday, according to Europe Says, after Toronto police said two dogs escaped an off-leash fenced area and attacked both a person and the dog they were walking.
Europe Says reported that police arrested a woman after the attack, which the outlet said happened near Avenue Road and Roxborough Street.
Attack near a fenced area
According to Europe Says, the victim was walking their dog near an off-leash fenced area when the woman’s two dogs escaped the enclosure.
Police said the dogs then charged and attacked the victim and the victim’s dog, the outlet reported. The description is brief, but it places the incident at a familiar kind of urban edge: a person walking a dog near an area where other dogs were inside a fenced off-leash space.
Europe Says reported that police described the two dogs as large breeds of pit bull or bull terrier.
Victim and dog injured
The attack left the person with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Europe Says, citing police.
The victim’s dog was hurt far more seriously. Europe Says reported that police said the dog sustained life-threatening injuries.
No further detail about the victim or the dog’s condition was included in the verified account.
Woman faces charges
Europe Says reported that the woman was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, offences under the Dog Owners’ Liability Act, and obstructing a peace officer.
The charges mark the police response to an incident that, according to the outlet, involved both injuries to a person and life-threatening injuries to a domestic animal. The case also centres on the allegation that the two dogs escaped the enclosure before the attack.
Dogs not yet located
The two dogs involved in the attack have not been located, according to Europe Says.
Police asked the public to use caution and not approach the animals if they are seen, the outlet reported. “If the dogs are seen, use caution and do not approach,” police said, according to Europe Says.
That warning leaves the story with an unresolved public safety concern: the dogs police say were involved in the attack are still missing. For anyone near the area, the police message is simple and direct. Do not try to intervene yourself.
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