'Pandemic pet phenomenon' one explanation for surge in Edmonton dog attacks
The rise in pets purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic correlates with a dramatic annual increase in the number of dog attacks in the city, say local pet experts.
In a media release Friday, the City of Edmonton said it received 596 dog attack complaints between January and July, an increase of 18 per cent compared to last year, when it collected 507 such complaints. In 2021, the city fielded 359 of them.
John Wilson, the director of the city's Animal Care and Control Centre, says the marked jump in the number of reported dog attacks can likely be linked to what he calls a global "pandemic pets phenomenon."
"We've seen the number of pets surrendered (rise), we've seen more stray pets as a result with the pandemic pets phenomenon, but we've also seen a lot of animals that haven't been socialized appropriately or haven't been trained, a lot of new owners that may be inexperienced in caring for their animals," Wilson told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. "All of these things have contributed to a situation where we're seeing a rise in attacks. It's not completely surprising to us now."
Melissa Lulashnyk, owner of Nurtured Canine dog training, said she believes some new dog owners in recent times haven't spent enough time training their pets, leading to more attacks.
"Usually, I look for like eight out of 10 at least recall commands -- being able to come back when they're called like eight out of 10 times -- before I'm like, 'OK, I'll let you totally off the leash,'" the St. Albert-based Lulashnyk said, referencing on-leash work and the importance of obedience.
"It's quite a few months of work. I think people jump the gun too quickly to go to dog parks. Then there are dogs that are overtired, and they get into fights, and then that's kind of how it spirals."
The city, in its release, noted a case in which a provincial court judge fined a dog owner the maximum $10,000 because of multiple attacks for which his animal was responsible.
Charges against the owner had been laid under the city’s animal licensing and control bylaw, which is being renewed and for which the city is staging a virtual public event on Nov. 2, after repeated complaints and attacks, said the release.
Wilson said the city is looking to modernize the bylaw, which is more than 20 years old, to reflect what people want and need from companion animals.
"When we look to some of the changes in the legal landscape, there is a growing recognition in the sentience of animals, as reflected in changes to the Criminal Code of Canada, to things such as provincial legislation that now allows pets to be on patios or restaurants," Wilson said. "We're also seeing a change in that our people in Edmonton would like to see more opportunity to take their pets with them when they go places."
Not only has the use of pets changed over time, the animals have evolved, too, said Lulashnyk.
"I just find that dogs' behaviours and genetics are changing over the last like 20 years," she said. "I find that the dogs are a bit different now, and I think that different behaviours come up that weren't existing 10 years ago."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6947086.1719783953!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Are you proud to be Canadian? Poll suggests that feeling is dwindling
A new poll suggests the vast majority of Canadians are proud of their home and native land, but our sense of national pride is lower than it was a few years ago.
More WestJet flight cancellations as strike hits tens of thousands of travellers
WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.
Neighbour on the hook for $3,675 in damages due to ‘nuisance cedar’: B.C. tribunal
A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.
Multiple people injured in RV police chase in Lloydminster: RCMP
Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.
A study identified 6 types of depression. Here’s why that matters
Scientists may be a step closer to that reality, thanks to new research that has identified six subtypes — or 'biotypes' — of major depression via brain imaging combined with machine learning.
B.C.'s Michael J. Fox joins Coldplay on stage at Glastonbury Festival
A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.
Nude beach etiquette: Lose your clothes, not your manners
Most of us have felt the freedom and delight that comes with stripping down to a swimsuit on a sunny day and wading into a cool sea, the horizon twinkling in the distance.
Canada Day is forecast to be rainy for many this year. Here's a look at weather and fireworks celebrations
Canada turns 157 years old this year, and several fireworks shows across the country are expected to paint the night skies in celebration. Here's a look at the forecast and fireworks celebrations across the country for Canada Day in 2024.
Police seek suspect, probe suspected hate crimes after two Toronto synagogues vandalized
Toronto police say they're investigating a pair of suspected hate-motivated offences after two city synagogues were damaged early Sunday morning.