A B.C. woman whose two-and-a-half year old Chihuahua was mauled to death by two pit bulls is lobbying for stronger dangerous dog laws.
Tricia Hill set up the āā page along with a change.org petition āāto lobby for stronger dangerous dog laws.
āThe point of this petition is to create legislation that bridges the gap between criminal law and animal control law,ā the petition statement of purpose declared.
āDog ownership legislation needs a reform.ā
On Thursday, July 15, around 2 p.m. Hill was taking Frankie for a walk in Langleyās Walnut Grove neighbourhood while she waited for a takeout order to be ready.
They were passing by the parking lot of the Sandman Inn hotel at 202nd St. and 88th Ave. when Hill heard āwhat sounded like two chains dragging,ā and saw the pit bulls.
She tucked Frankie under her arm ālike a footballā and was leaving when the dogs attacked.
āI was tackled from behindā by one dog, while the other went after Frankie, dragging him from her grip.
Hill managed to fight them off and get Frankie back, but the dogs attacked a second time, injuring Hill and killing Frankie.
READ ALSO:
By then, the owner of the dogs, a woman, had arrived, Hill recalled, but didnāt call her dogs off or attempt to intervene.
āIt was brutal,ā Hill told Black Press.
āIt felt like [it went on] forever. The whole time, I was screaming for help.ā
Hill suffered bruises and bite marks to her hand and under her chin.
While the injuries will heal, Hill doubts she will ever recover from the trauma of witnessing Frankieās death.
āNo one should ever have to see that,ā Hill said.
āIām never going to get over it.ā
She said Frankie was a rescue dog from Korea, the only survivor from his litter.
Hill described him as a bright, happy, outgoing dog, āa human in a dogās body.ā
READ ALSO:
Faye Wightman, interim executive director of Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) , the animal control service provider for both the Township and City of Langley, confirmed LAPS investigated an incident on July 15th involving three dogs that ended with the death of one dog, but could not say more, owing to privacy concerns.
āAppropriate action is being taken,ā Wightman told the Langley Advance Times.
āDefine appropriate,ā Hill commented.
Langley Townshipās animal control bylaw, as online, sets out a potential fine of $5,000 for the owner of a ādangerous dog,ā defined as one that has ākilled or seriously injuredā a person or domestic animal.ā
Under the bylaw, an animal control officer may detain the dog pending court proceedings to seek an order to have the dog humanely destroyed.
Is there more to the story? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on and follow us on .