Nine-year-old Riley was playing with her best friend at Ferrand Drive Park near Eglinton Avenue and Don Valley Parkway on Monday evening, when she was allegedly attacked by an off-leash dog.
“It came from behind me […] and it jumped on me,” Riley told CityNews.
She was left with huge gashes across her face and is still reeling from the terrifying experience. Her mother, Rebecca Elias, remembers the fear that came over her when she got the call.
“I was in full panic mode, very traumatized,” Elias explained. “I know this was scary for her because she is afraid of dogs, so to hear she was attacked by one, it was very scary.”
The dog involved in the attack was not on a leash at the time. Riley’s mother says she is unsure of the exact breed, but it looked like a pitbull, and was being walked by a teenaged boy.
“Even if the owner of a dog or the person who’s caring for or walking a dog is a minor, their parent, or their guardian is still responsible for their actions and activities, so in those situations, you would be able to go after the dog owner as well as the teen for an incident like this,” local lawyer Jason Singer said.
Nearly 20 years ago, the Ontario government passed laws which prevented people from owning various Pitbull breeds due to incidents like this one.
“Most Pitbulls in Ontario probably no longer exist because they would be a little over 20 years old, but unfortunately, some people are still breeding them,” Singer explains. “Some people are still finding ways to have Pitbulls, so unfortunately, it remains to be a problem in the province.”
Elias says after her daughter was attacked, the dog owner leashed the animal and walked away. Meanwhile, Riley was covered in blood and taken to hospital where she got 10 stitches in her face, plus a series of rabies shots.
According to the city’s by-laws, dogs are required to be on a leash at all times while in a park or beach, and are only allowed off-leash in designated areas throughout the city. This park, however, was not one of them.
“There are signs around that say once you’re in this park, leash your dog, this is not a dog park by any means, so not following the rules is really what causes the problem,” Elias added.
Officials say if caught, dog owners can face a fine of up to $615 for allowing their pet to run off-leash in non-designated areas.
As for Riley and Rebecca, a police report has been filed and Toronto Animal Services continues to investigate.
