Dangerous dog to go on trial at Winnipeg City Hall

WINNIPEG — A dog that attacked and killed a smaller dog and may have tried to attack a two-year-old child will have its dangerous dog label removed if its owner has their way.

The city’s animal services department has branded Coco, a black Labrador living at a home in Lindenwoods, as a dangerous dog.

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But at city hall on Friday, Coco’s owner will appeal that designation.

In August, the dog attacked and killed a five-year-old Shih-Tzu as it was being walked in front of the Lindenwoods home.

Its owner, Carolina Fridman, said Coco fatally bit her dog on the neck.

She called the incident “really traumatic” and said she will sometimes “still cry at home.”

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Two months before that incident, a family whose yard backs onto the Lindenwoods home said Coco jumped the almost seven-foot fence and “went after” their two-year-old, according to a document filed with the city.

The dog never reached the child but it then pursued the family’s small dog before running into their house through an open door.

On Aug. 30, the dog was determined to be dangerous by the city’s Animal Services Agency.

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The designation carries additional responsibilities for the owner including keeping the dog muzzled when it’s off their property and carrying liability insurance worth at least $1,000,000 for any harm or injury the dog may cause.

In a hearing before the designation was made Coco’s owner participated in an Animal Services hearing, saying the dog is always tied to a cable in the yard, working with a trainer and has an appointment to be neutered.