1-Year-Old Girl Recovering After Vicious Pit Bull Attack In Ottawa, dog to be euthanized

At 9:10am in west Ottawa a 1-year old girl was attacked by a pit bull while playing with the dog in her home. The pit bull almost completely removed the girl’s nose. Paramedics treated her on the scene for mutliple lacerations and rushed her to the hospital. While her injuries are not life threatening, the baby was still in surgery on Sunday afternoon. Medical staff relate that she is expected to recover, but will face life-long breathing issues due to the damage to her nose and sinuses.

The pit bull that bit a baby girl’s face in west Ottawa yesterday is in bylaw department custody and on a list to be euthanized, police say.

The $10,000 question

Since 2005 there has been a strict ban in Ontario on owning, importing or breeding pit bulls. The ban covers all of the associated breeds including the Staffordshire, American Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier or recognized mixes of the breed. Anyone who owned a pit bull before the ban took effect was allowed to keep their dog on several conditions. The animal had to be spayed or neutered, and was not to be out in public without a muzzle or leash.

The question in this case is whether or not the family knew if the dog had a prior history of attacks. Neighbors reported that the family was not the originally owner of the dog but had taken it in for rehabilitation when the original owner could not care for the animal. The family faces the $10k fine if there was a known history of attacks from the animal.

Where did the dog come from?

Police took the dog into custody and may have a more complicated investigation on their hands. The question now becomes a part of discovering how the original owner illegally acquired the animal. Dog groups list the pit bull type dog as safe dogs with families; but only if they have been trained correctly and are constantly monitored by an adult who has control over the dog. The ban gives the court authority to euthanize the dog but no word of the decision has been released yet.

More Online:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/baby-girl-loses-most-of-her-nose-in-pit-bull-attack-1.2623459