Fatal Dog Attacks - Canada: 1983 - 2003
1983 (2) Farm Dogs Roaming dogs kill child (Edmonton)
1987 (1) German Shep X Chained,killed child (Vernon)
1988 (1) German Shep Unsupervised child (PQ)
1990 (1) Chow Chow Attack on newborn (ON)
1993 (1) Sled dogs Chained dogs kill child (N.W.T.)
1993 (5) Sled dogs Attacked by loose dogs (AB)
1994 (1) Maremma Sheepdog Family dog killed child (ON)
1995 (2) Am Staffs Roommate provoked dogs (ON)
1995 (2) German Sheps Killed by uncle's dogs (SK)
1996 (?) Strays Child killed by stray dogs (MB)
1997 (1) Sled dog Chained dog w/pups (SK)
1998 (?) Sled dogs Pack chained on sea ice (Iqaluit)
1998 (1) Bullmastiff Playing w/neighbor's dog (ON)
1998 (8) Lab/Huskies Xs Mother & son killed by pack (Nfld)
1998 (6) Strays Boy killed by strays (MB)
1999 (1) Husky X Neighbor's dog (BC)
1999 (1) Husky One of 24 chained dogs (PQ)
1999 (1) Husky X Grandfather's dog (NWT)
1999 (?) Strays Girl killed by starving dogs (AB)
2002 (2) Lab X & Rott Attacked in field (ON)
2003 (3) Rottweilers Boy wandered into yard (NB)
2003 (4) German Shep Xs Grandmother's dogs (MB)
Most of these cases are sordid, and they are certainly not representative of dog owners as a whole. The table is a bit out of date, as it does not mention the three deaths since 2003 all of which have been children on reserves in the northern prairies by feral dogs running loose.
You may also be interested in this list of dog attacks (2004 - April 2006), compiled by an authority on the subject. This list is put together from news reports, not the best source for information, but I'd like to share it with you anyway (highlighting indicates an incident in Ontario):
1.April 25, 2006, a toddler will be scarred for life after a savage attack by the family's Labrador Retriever/Kelpie cross. The child was left unsupervised with the dog.
2.April 25, 2006, a young girl was bitten in the face by an at-large Labrador Retriever mix her mother inexplicably allowed her to hug. (Always avoid unsupervised dogs.)
3.April 24, 2006, an elderly Toronto woman suffered several bite wounds when she was bitten by a German Shepherd being cared for by a neighbor.
4.April 24, 2006, a girl was mauled by the family's Alaskan Malamute. (The report lists the dog as an "Alaskan Husky", but no such breed exists. It could be either a Siberian Husky, or an Alaskan Malamute. After obtaining a photograph of the dog, it is clearly an Alaskan Malamute.) The dog had attacked a child previously.
5.April 24, 2006, a jogger alleges she was bitten by one of several dogs purposefully released from the owner's kennel. According to both the victim and the owner of the dogs, the bite was inflicted by either a Siberian Husky or a Husky/wolf cross.
6.April 22, 2006, a 6-year-old boy was attacked by a German Shepherd while playing tag with friends. The boy's mother points out that her boyfriend's 'pit bull', for example, is a very friendly dog, and the responsibility lies with the owner of any dog, whatever its breed, to prevent attacks by properly raising and supervising it.
7.April 20, 2006, a 'pit bull' was viciously attacked by a Pomeranian while out on a walk with its owner. The owner of the Pomeranian will face several charges.
8.April 15, 2006, a York Region boy was mauled by a neighbor’s Labrador Retriever mix, after it escaped its cage and attacked the boy while playing in his driveway.
9.April 15, 2006, a man in York Region was badly mauled by a Tibetan Mastiff.
10.April 14, 2006, a couple has been ordered to remove at least half their 9 or more Border Collies, after numerous biting incidents.
(more....)
