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Tuesday, April 17, 2012 X Volume 25 No. 31
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Clock ticking on pit bulls Owner of seized animals disputes city’s story tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
The owner of a pair of pit bulls alleged to have randomly attacked a passerby near a busy Sahali street told KTW the city isn’t telling the whole story about the incident. Kyle Esau, who owns five-yearold American Staffordshire Terriers Kitta and Buster, admits his dogs bit a 19-year-old man on April 1, but maintains the attack was not random. “I was going through a dumpster and I had my dogs on a leash,” the 24-year-old said. “My dogs started barking at this guy. He got scared or something, he kicked them and he started running backwards.” The victim was bitten a number of times and required treatment at Royal Inland Hospital. Police were called to investigate and Esau, who is homeless, was arrested. He was later released without criminal charges. The dogs, however, were seized by the City of Kamloops and will likely be put down if Esau can’t meet a lengthy list of conditions by the end of this week. According to Jon Wilson, the city’s community-safety and enforcement manager, the attack was the result of negligence on the part of Esau. “The owner failed to maintain proper and reasonable control of the dogs prior to and during the incident,” Wilson said. “Both dogs involved aggressively pursued and engaged in a sustained attack on the man in an unprovoked manner.” The incident is alleged to have began on a walking trail near Upper College Heights, in the area of Summit Drive and McGill Road. The melee eventually
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By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
Both dogs involved . . . engaged in a sustained attack on the man . . .
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— Jon Wilson
spilled out onto Summit Drive. Injuries to the victim included punctures and bruising on his arms and legs and a cut on one leg. “The injuries may have been more severe had the attack been of a longer duration,” Wilson said. The attack ended after motorists on Summit Drive stopped their vehicles and convinced the dogs to let up, Wilson said, alleging Esau did not intervene. Kamloops RCMP conducted an investigation and have not forwarded any potential criminal charges to the Crown. However, according to Wilson, a municipal investigation has found Esau to be at fault — and the dogs to be dangerous. “Both dogs involved have been deemed aggressive under the city’s dog responsibility and control bylaw, which places significant onus on the owner to provide strict controls and undertake risk management to ensure public safety before the dogs will be
returned,” he said. Requirements include orders that Esau house the dogs in a permanent outdoor enclosure, use a short leash and muzzles whenever the animals are in public, implant microchips in the dogs and adorn them with high-visibility dog tags. “The owner is further obligated to obtain and maintain suitable liability insurance in the amount of $2 million at all times and sign a release and indemnity waiver with the city,” Wilson said. “The owner has been provided 14 days to meet the requirements under the city’s bylaws for keeping an aggressive dog. “If the owner does not meet these requirements, the animals will be forfeited as unclaimed and the animals humanely euthanized as unsuitable for adoption.” Wilson noted the dogs had no history of violence, but said the owner could face municipal charges in bylaw court. “Charges are also pending against the owner for the dogs being at large, attacking and causing injury,” he said. “Fines of $500 for each dog are pending, given the nature of the attack and consistent witness statements that the owner made little to no attempt to intervene and gain control of the animals.” Esau said he has had Kitta and Buster since they were puppies, noting they have never exhibited violent behaviour in the past. He said he is trying to meet the conditions before the dogs are put down. “It’s hard because I’m homeless,” he said, adding he and his ex-girlfriend are attempting to set up a fundraiser to help save the animals. “I’m just trying to get on my feet myself. How am I supposed to do all that?”
A fire in a home in North Kamloops claimed the life of the pet dog of this distraught tenant. The investigation continues. Dave Eagles/KTW
Dog perishes in house fire By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
No people were hurt as flames gutted part of a North Kamloops duplex unit on Thursday, April 12, but a family pet wasn’t as lucky. Emergency crews were called to the blaze, in the 600-block of Clearwater Avenue, at about 2:30 p.m. after a neighbour spotted smoke and called 911. Kamloops Fire Rescue assistant chief Mike Adams said firefighters entered the home and found the flames were confined to one room. “They found it was in the basement and they made an initial knockdown,” he said. Initial reports indicated the blaze
might be suspicious in nature, but Adams said investigators are still looking into the cause. “It’s too early to tell,” he said. “As our investigation progresses, we’ll find out more.” Kamloops RCMP was also at the scene, with officers apparently collecting evidence from in and around the home. The tenant of the basement suite, who did not provide his name, said he was at work when the fire broke out, while his children were at school. His dog, identified by neighbours as a five-year-old miniature sheltie named Buddy, died as a result of the fire. Adams said it’s too early to put a dollar value on the blaze.
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