Sicamous woman says 10-year-old son attacked, bitten 20 times by classmate’s dog – Salmon Arm News

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A 10-year-old boy from Sicamous was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being attacked by a classmate’s dog, according to his mother.

Krysta Lachowski said her son was playing at a classmate’s house on Wednesday, April 3, when he was attacked by the classmate’s Husky Akita cross.

The classmate’s parents called Lachowski, and she met them at the Shuswap Lake General Hospital emergency room.

The 10-year-old suffered several bites to his arms, some of which required stitches.

“He has 20 bites, he has stitches in both forearms,” Lachowski said. “Normally they don’t stitch dog wounds, but these were tears, down to his little bone. …They’re worried about bone infection.”

Lachowski said her son had been over to that classmate’s house and been around the dog at least a handful of times previously.

“The two boys were standing there, not wrestling around, just playing fetch with the dog,” she said. “Then the dog attacked my son.

“The two boys were in the backyard, Just the two boys out playing, mom wasn’t home yet and dad was in the house, not present in the backyard when the dog was out.”

Lachowski said she used to operate a kennel in Sicamous, and her son knew how to safely interact with many different kinds of dogs.

Sicamous Bylaw Enforcement is investigating the incident.

According to Sicamous animal control bylaws, a dog that exhibits aggressive behaviour towards a person or animal or without provocation causes minor injury to another animal or person is considered an “aggressive dog”.

A dog’s owners have a right to request reconsideration of the “aggressive dog,” as long as they submit a written request within 14 days of having received notice that their dog has been deemed aggressive. The district’s chief administrative officer may provide the owner and bylaw as well as any complainants with an opportunity to make representations regarding the dog.

The owner of a dog that has been deemed aggressive faces several conditions they must comply with, including maintaining at least two barriers between the dog and the public, displaying a warning sign on the door of their premises, advising the district immediately if the dog is at large, and informing the district if they sell or give the dog to anyone else.

John Moore, Sicamous Bylaw Enforcement officer, said he was unable to comment about an ongoing investigation. However, while his investigation is ongoing, the dog is considered to be aggressive and a sign warning people of an aggressive dog on premises must be displayed on the door.

Other conditions related to an “aggressive dog” designation could be enforced or rescinded based on the outcome of the investigation.

Lachowski said she had to speak up to start the investigative process.

“It was me that took the initiative to get this ball rolling, or else it would have been just left in the dust and me dealing with my son and the trauma he went through and the wounds,” she said. “I have talked to the RCMP, I have talked to bylaw. I have talked to our health inspector, and I have talked to our medical inspector.”

Interior Health will have the dog monitored for the possibility of rabies.

“Something has to be done, luckily it didn’t get him in the jugular or the face, or that it wasn’t a little little person — like a baby,” Lachowski said. “These dog owners have to be held responsible for their animals, it’s just getting out of control.”

If the investigation determines that the dog is a “dangerous dog” under B.C.’s Community Charter, then the District of Sicamous Bylaw Enforcement would have the authority to seize the dog and could apply to the provincial court for an order to have it destroyed.

B.C.’s Community Charter defines a “dangerous dog” as one that has seriously injured or killed a person or domestic animal, or if an animal control officer has reasonable grounds to believe the animal is likely to kill or seriously injure a person.