[nagdu] BLIND WOMAN'S GUIDE DOG ATTACKED: CITY OF OTTAWA RESPONSE LACKS TEETH

[Ginger Kutsch]

BLIND WOMAN'S GUIDE DOG ATTACKED: CITY OF OTTAWA RESPONSE LACKS
TEETH
April 17, 2010
By Helen McFadyen (Halifax)
 
Erie is a well-mannered yellow Lab and a superbly trained guide
dog. You'd think she'd have enough to watch out for in her job as
Christine Duport's eyes. But Erie has been attacked four times in
the past 18 months by off-leash dogs as she and Christine walked
along a residential West-end Ottawa street; same street, same
unleashed dogs, same owner, to whom the City of Ottawa continues
to turn its same blind eye.
 
Erie's calm disposition and intense training paid off in 2008
when the first swarming occurred. A pair of yappy, aggressive,
un-leashed dogs swarmed the guide dog on Seymour Street.
Christine and Erie were left shaken, but unhurt. Chris even had a
civil conversation with the dogs' owner who claimed he always
allowed his dogs off leash and was unaware of any dog bylaws. A
second similar incident occurred soon after, with the owner of
the dogs becoming less 'friendly'. This winter, the same
off-leash dogs interfered for a third time as they passed by,
approaching an intersection. Chris describes her dog, Erie's
response: "She did her job.didn't bark, tried to move away from
them. focused on crossing the street with one dog jumping by her
left hip and one at her front. She veered left, then right as we
tried to cross Charkay and Seymour. We got stuck in the middle of
the street with those crazy dogs jumping around us. I was lucky
that a woman stopped her car to help". The Good Samaritan also
gave Chris the dog owner's address.
 
Chris phoned the City of Ottawa, eventually speaking with a bylaw
officer. Records showed that since 2003, over twenty complaints
have been called in about the same dogs and owner, yet no fines
have been levied or any action taken. The obvious question is,
'Why'? How can so many complaints about a potentially dangerous
threat go without action being taken? Chris' voice shudders as
she recollects a fourth attack. "I heard the teeth as they
snapped at Erie, not biting. but still. I fussed, in hopes of
scaring them off.then the guy came out and screamed at me, called
me a pain in the ass. I called the City again." This time, Chris
made a formal, written complaint. She was asked by city officials
if she would agree to going to court if challenged by the
resident being charged (Bylaw 2003- 77-9 Dogs Running at Large).
The maximum fine a 'dogs at large' first offense is $120.00. It
seems that most complaints don't stick, if indeed there is follow
up.
 
When Chris spoke to city staff, all expressed their shock over
the situation and agreed that "something must be done". There is
no reasonable explanation why this issue persists. Christine's
frustration and disbelief is evident, "In this case. with 20
complaints, going back years..someone should have
investigated.there's lack of diligence on their part", she said.
Jane Thornton, Director of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, the
local center which trained Erie and Chris, said, "It is
unfortunate that irresponsible pet owners enable dog attacks to
occur. Most pet owners are responsible, but for those of whom
aren't, we hope that the City of Ottawa will strongly enforce
existing bylaws and consider the harshest penalties possible in
cases where bylaws are ignored. Strong enforcement, especially of
keeping dogs on leash at all times in public places, is
imperative to protect all dogs, whether they are pet dogs or
Assistance Dogs." Attempts to get an official statement from the
City of Ottawa have been unsuccessful. Officials promised to "get
to the bottom of it" and many added sympathetically, "That's
horrible". Horrible indeed.
 
London, England takes this kind of thing seriously; a woman's
guide dog was viciously attacked in a North London subway station
in February by an unleashed dog. The guide dog received severe
injuries, but recovered. Both dog and its blind handler were
traumatized. The attack dog's owner probably wishes he lived in
Ottawa, with its unenforced dog at large bylaw and small potato
fines: He was banned from owning dogs for 10 years, jailed for
three months (suspended two years), ordered to perform 150 hours
of community work, to compensate the Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association 1200.00 pounds and to pay the guide dog's owner 500
pounds.
 
The issue of dogs at large is annoying for many, but has very
serious implications for service dogs and their handlers. For
Christine Duport, a 48- year old former high school teacher, life
changed significantly when she lost her vision in 2005. She rose
to the challenge, learning new orientation and mobility skills,
Braille and how to use adaptive technology. She got back into
life instead of , as Christine says, "sitting back, doing
nothing."
 
Christine's busy life now includes volunteer work with various
organizations, making presentations and preparing art description
guides for the National Gallery of Canada. Erie has become a
major piece of Christine's life. I asked Chris about the close
calls with dog attacks; attacks which in which Erie could have
been injured and forced to retire. "I would be absolutely
devastated if I lost Erie..she is with me all the time. like an
extra limb.I share my life with her.I'm as devoted to her as she
is to me. I have no desire to go back to the white cane.If I lost
Erie, I'd face a long period on a waiting list (for a new guide
dog) and then the period to retrain. not to mention the difficult
first months adapting to a new guide dog. I'd be forced into
changing my life style for up to a year. No, I'll deal with that
when I have to part with Erie for natural causes..not over dogs
at large."
 
Guide Dog Users of Canada president, Melanie Moore commented, "We
will continue to advocate for Ms. Duport, and for more stringent
regulations to protect guide dogs and the general public from off
leash dog attacks. The type of incident that Christine and Erie
experienced should not have occurred. Ottawa must get serious
with legislation, enforce it and issue severe punitive
consequences for people whose off -leash pets attack a service
dog For example,. Manitoba's Service Animal Protection Act allows
for penalties of 5000.00 against people whose animals touch,
impede or interfere with a service animal. Second offenses fines
rise to 10,000. Other jurisdictions, like Vermont, are passing
legislation which would send people whose unrestrained pets
attack guide dogs to prison for up to a year. Ottawa residents
must be afforded the same level of response and protection by the
City of Ottawa."
 
Source:
http://smartpet.net/2010/04/18/blind-woman%E2%80%99s-guide-dog-at
tacked-city-of-ottawa-response-lacks-teeth/