Rochelle Baker – Abbotsford News
An off-duty RCMP dog that attacked an eight-year-old boy, leaving him with injuries requiring 72 stitches, has been OK’d to return to duty.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Gary Carlson, who is responsible for police dog services in the Lower Mainland, said Monday that two senior personnel have evaluated the five-year-old dog and determined it was fit for duty.
Officers assessed the dog’s obedience, overall demeanour and aggression level, and it met all the required standards.
“It’s an accident that shouldn’t have happened, and we have policies in place to ensure it won’t happen again,” said Carlson.
The attack took place the morning of Nov. 27 as Thomas Rennie was tobogganing on Country Place.
The RCMP say the dog got loose and was playing with some kids outside when eight-year-old Thomas went by.
Carlson said the dog’s training kicked in and, likely perceiving Thomas as a threat, it latched onto his right arm.
Neighbours and a passing motorist tried to help his mom, Rachel Chiasson, pull the dog off.
The dog released the boy only after being hit on the head by a heavy anti-theft device.
An Abbotsford police dog handler soon arrived on the scene and took control of the animal without additional problems.
Carlson said the dog wouldn’t let go of the boy because it has been trained to not release suspects.
The threat a police dog poses for the public is dependent on the animal’s training and personality, and what it perceives to be a threat, he said.
The RCMP doesn’t allow anyone outside the force to handle the dogs, and they are never normally allowed to run loose, Carlson added.
Since the attack, the RCMP requires that dog handlers in the Lower Mainland have a secondary locking mechanism on both kennel latches and the gates to their backyards.
The previous policy required dogs be secured in kennels when handlers are not present.
Carlson said the gate securing the backyard of the dog handler’s home wasn’t secured properly, and in stormy weather the wind blew the gate open, allowing the dog to leave his kennel and fenced backyard area.
Chiasson said last week her son is doing “really well,” despite undergoing surgery and getting 72 stitches to repair the damage to his right arm.
The RCMP declined to say if the Chiasson family was planning to initiate legal action.
Recent Comments