The owner of two dogs is facing multiple charges under the City of Lethbridge’s Dog Control Bylaw 5235, following an incident on July 13 where an eight-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl were bitten in a school yard.
Lethbridge police said the incident happened outside of Dr. Gerald B. Probe Elementary School, where the boy was attending a summer camp. He was bitten on the face, ear and knee. The teen was working at the camp and was bitten on the arm when she tried to intervene.
In a news release, Community Animal Services said the owner of the two dogs has been charged with two counts of dog running at large, two counts of failure to licence a dog, one count of dog bites a person, and one count of dog injures a person.
Community Animal Services said it was determined that the two dogs — which are believed to be terrier-type breeds and belong to the same owner — were loose in the area after escaping from their yard.
Both animals were seized by animal bylaw enforcement officers and held at the Lethbridge Animal Shelter. One of the dogs has since been released back to the owner under strict conditions, as it was determined that dog was not directly involved in the biting incident.
The second dog, which is accused of biting, remains in custody pending the outcome of a court hearing under Alberta’s Dangerous Dogs Act.
A date has not yet been set for that court hearing, and animal services says no further information is available at this time as the matter is before the courts.