Pit bull involved in fatal attack on neighbour’s dog must be euthanized, B.C. judge rules

A dog bowl and leash are seen in this undated stock image. (Image: Shutterstock)

A pit bull involved in the backyard mauling death of a 12-year-old collie named Heidi must be put down, a B.C. judge has ordered.

On the morning of Sept. 8, 2024, three pit bulls were taken into custody by animal control officers following reports the dogs had jumped a fence and fatally attacked the neighbour’s dog.

The court City of Kamloops applied to have one of the pit bulls – named Ferb – declared a dangerous dog and humanely euthanized. The decision to grant the order was handed down in provincial court last week.

Judge Roy C. Dickey’s decision noted that it was impossible to know for sure whether Ferb was directly responsible for Heidi’s death but that the circumstantial evidence was enough to convince him that “a pack mentality was likely at play here and that all three dogs participated in Heidi’s death.”

The other two pit bulls involved – Snoopy and Bella – had already been euthanized. The former for medical reasons and the latter after a dangerous dog declaration.

On the morning of the mauling, Heidi’s owner told the court she heard a commotion in her fenced-in yard and went outside.

“She observed three pit bull type dogs circling Heidi, who was lying on the ground. She says she observed blood on one of the dogs and realized Heidi had been attacked,” according to the decision.

A veterinarian who examined Heidi’s body told the court what she observed, saying the injuries suffered by the collie were multiple punctures and extensive wounds to the dog’s neck, including severed arteries, a severed esophagus and larynx, and damage to the dog’s vertebrae.

An expert called by the City of Kamloops is quoted as saying “this was the most vicious and extreme attack and resulting injuries that I have seen.”

The court also heard how examinations of the pit bulls on the day of the attack revealed no injuries to any of the dogs, who all smelled of blood.

The central issue for the judge to decide was whether there was enough evidence to prove it was more likely than not that Ferb killed or seriously injured another animal, therefore meeting the criteria to be declared a dangerous dog.

“In an attack by a number of dogs it may be impossible to determine with certainty which dog killed or seriously injured the domestic animal,” Dickey wrote.

In this case, evidence that the dogs likely acted as a “pack” on the day Hedi was killed was enough to persuade the judge that Ferb was involved. The three pit bulls were observed jumping the fence together, circling Hedi together, and fleeing the yard together.

The judge ordered Ferb to be euthanized within 31 days of the decision.