TORONTO — The owner of a dog who was trapped on TTC subway tracks, causing a brief transit shutdown Tuesday, wants answers after the dog had to be put down due to its injuries.
“I would have done anything to help the dog,” said Lisa Skanks, the owner of the four-year-old German Shepherd. “But he said the best thing to do was to put it out of its misery from suffering.”
Skanks said her husband was out walking the two dogs without leashes at a park near Davisville station Tuesday morning at about 5:30 a.m., when the windy weather scared the dog and it disappeared.
READ MORE: Katie, dog freed from subway tracks, euthanized due to injuries
The pair searched her neighbourhood, called Animal Services and local veterinarians, but were told just after 1 p.m. that the dog was found severely hurt on TTC tracks near Davisville station.
“I don’t know if she was trapped on their property for seven hours, I don’t know if she was hit and trains kept going, so I’m in the midst of actually just trying to find out what happened and try and get the video surveillance from the TTC,” said Lisa Skanks.
“I want to know how my dog got in. Basically, if people reported seeing my dog on property — was protocol followed? Proper measures taken?”
TTC spokesman Brad Ross said a German shepherd became stuck under the electrified third rail in a tunnel just south of the station Tuesday.
Crews cut power and Toronto Animal Services attended the scene. The dog, named Katie, was removed on a stretcher and later euthanized.
Veterinarian Dr. Greg Usher said putting Katie down was “the kindest thing we could have done.”
“We don’t know how she got into the yard and I don’t think we ever will,” Ross said, adding that they could not shut down TTC service because of reports of an animal in the yard.
“There are no surveillance cameras in the yard … there’s no CCTV to review to see how she may have gotten in.”
Ross said the TTC does not review video surveillance unless it is needed for something such as a criminal investigation.
“This is a tragic story, but the TTC did everything it could,” Ross said, adding that power was cut and service was shut down for two hours after the dog was discovered. “There was nothing more that we could do.”
Skanks said she wants to make sure this never happens again and that there is a proper procedure in place for when animals are spotted on TTC property.
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