SUDBURY -- Several dog owners in the small community of Warren, 30 minutes east of Sudbury, Ont., say three recent dog attacks have residents feeling nervous.
One local dog owner, Elizabeth Arnold, believes the same animal is responsible for all three attacks and said that many owners are afraid to walk their dogs after the recent incidents.
Arnold said she was walking her 9-year-old dog, Diamond, on a leash recently when her pet was attacked by what she believes to be a pit bull that was running loose.
"I am terrified. I don't sleep because when I fall asleep or try to sleep, that's all I see is this dog lunging at my dog and shaking the hell out of her," Arnold said.
She said her dog suffered several puncture wounds and was treated by a veterinarian.
"They told me my dog was a very lucky dog to be here today. So, you know, like this pit bull has been terrorizing this town," Arnold said.
Lorraine Corriveau is another dog owner who also lives in Warren who said she is also worried about walking her dog after the attacks.
"I don't go that way anymore," Corriveau said. "I go the backroads all the time and I am always afraid to see another animal. My nerves are shot and I walk with sticks and canes."
Animals control officers for the Municipality of Markstay-Warren investigated the attack on Diamond and declared the other animal a "vicious" dog. They have ordered its owners to leash and muzzle the dog when it is outside the home. The owner was also fined for allowing the dog to run loose and permitting the dog to attack without provocation.
"If they do get out, make sure you are out there to catch them as soon as you can because they can get themselves into a lot of trouble. This dog was not only causing danger for the residents in Warren, but potentially, a danger for motorists on Highway 17 and the dog himself," said Richard Paquette, an animal control officer in the community.
Paquette adds the two previous attacks in Warren were not reported in a timely manner and urges people to report any dog attack immediately.
"Always report these things to the municipality or the band council or whoever is the authority," he said. "The OPP is responsible for unorganized areas. So report it to somebody, right? None of these previous occurrences had been reported, which was unfortunate."
Paquette said the owner of the dog responsible for the attacks claims the dog is a bull terrier. Under the vicious dog declaration, the owner has been ordered to get the breed confirmed by a veterinarian.
Under the Dog Owners' Liability Act, the owner of the "vicious" dog is responsible for the vet bills of the injured dog.
