Iqaluit bylaw investigation ongoing 1 month after dog attack

A dog attack that led to an 11-year-old girl being medevaced to Ottawa for surgery is still under investigation by the City of Iqaluit more than a month after the incident.

“The city does not have an update or findings to share at this time, and I can’t provide a date for when they will be available,” city spokesperson Geoff Byrne said in an email on Sept. 24, one month after Mia Joy Nowdlak-Fraser was mauled by a dog tethered in a backyard near a downtown playground.

Bylaw officers were not available to explain their investigation methodology, Byrne added.

On Aug. 28, the owner surrendered the dog to the municipality. On Sept. 3, it was killed.

On Aug. 25, an RCMP officer approached Nowdlak and her daughter, but the family felt uncomfortable and declined to speak, Nowdlak said in an interview Friday. No bylaw officer or city official has ever approached the family, she said.

She said her daughter is doing “OK” and she continues to support her.

To find out how other communities treat similar incidents, Nunatsiaq News asked the northwestern Ontario municipality of Kenora, which has a population roughly double that of Iqaluit, how its bylaw officers conduct investigations.

Melissa Laalo, manager of bylaw services and animal control for the Northwestern Ontario community of Kenora, says bylaw officers respond to reports of a dog attack 24/7, 365 days a year. Iqaluit bylaw is more than one month into its investigation of a Sept. 3 dog attack that sent an 11-year-old into surgery in Ottawa. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Laalo/City of Kenora)

Kenora bylaw receives calls about aggressive dogs several times a week, said Melissa Laalo, manager of bylaw services and animal control, in a phone interview Friday.

“When we receive a report of an attack or an aggressive dog complaint, bylaw officers will respond 24/7 — 365 days a year,” she said.

Bylaw officers ensure the victim seeks medical attention and confirm the owner has control of the animal.

Either the owner will be required to quarantine the animal for 10 days, or the animal will be seized by officers, depending on the risk and the level of co-operation from the owner, she said.

Within 24 hours of receiving the call, bylaw will interview the victim and the dog owner to assess public risk and to understand the circumstances of the incident.

The victim is the top priority, she said.

Officers collect witness statements, examine photos of the wounds and look for video footage.

“We take time to gather all that evidence, sometimes a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on the severity of the attack,” she said.

The investigation might include reviewing the dog’s veterinary records.

An animal may be killed if it is deemed to pose a threat to the public safety.

Dog owners can appeal that ruling, which a committee of elected officials assess.

Alternatively, a dog owner may be required to confine or restrain the dog, including using a muzzle.

Kenora’s dog owners are subject to both Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act and the city’s laws, Laalo said.

Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act states that a dog owner is legally liable for damages that result from an attack on another person. The location of the attack is not relevant to the legislation, including attacks that take place on private property.