A dog that killed another dog two years ago will be trained for half a year and then reassessed to determine the risk he poses, a judge ordered on Thursday.
READ MORE: Halifax wants dog that killed other dog in Dartmouth euthanized
Depending on the outcome, the options going forward include the dog being returned to his owners or being put down.
The attack happened on Dec. 14, 2015.
Bruce, an American Staffordshire terrier, chased Diamond, a Pomeranian, into her owner’s home and eventually killed her.
“She was like a family member like almost, basically, like my child,” Rachelle Coward, Diamond’s owner, said one day after the attack.
Bruce was unsupervised and tied up in the backyard of his home when the collar broke off and he escaped, his owner Kassandra Allard-Morin said a few days after the attack.
She said it was a mistake that she would never let happen again.
“I want people to know that I am really sorry for what happened, and for all the pain that I caused to Rachelle and her family,” Allard-Morin said.
READ MORE: Owner of pit bull that killed Pomeranian fears dog will be put down
She and Thomas Vaughan pleaded guilty to three charges each.
Judge Alanna Murphy ordered both to pay the minimum fines for the counts, totalling $600 for each person, in Dartmouth Provincial Court.
Bruce will be in the Halifax municipal government’s care for the next six months for training. Allard-Morin and Vaughan will also undergo some training.
After that, if the government determines that the risk the dog poses is not manageable, the municipality will decide his future, potentially entailing euthanasia.
If the government determines that the risk Bruce poses is manageable, he’ll be given back to his owners with conditions.
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