Two remaining dogs involved in fatal attack on Calgary senior will be put down

A judge has decided the two remaining dogs involved in a fatal attack on a Calgary senior more than two years ago will be euthanized.

Dog owner Denis Bagaric was in court Thursday to fight a move to have two of his animals put down.

He was fined $18,000 and handed a 15-year ban on pet ownership after pleading guilty in early May to two city bylaw charges: an animal attacking a person causing severe injury, and animals running at large.

Eighty-six-year-old Betty Ann Williams was gardening in the alley of her Capitol Hill home in June 2022 when she was mauled by Bagaric’s three American Staffordshire terriers.

She waited 30 minutes for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, where she later died of her injuries.

Immediately after Williams’ death, the three animals were taken into city custody and have been there for the last two years. One of the dogs was euthanized in February.

Justice Bruce Fraser said during the hearing there is evidence the remaining animals are dangerous to public and deserve the same fate.

Bagaric’s lawyer had argued the two should be spared because there was no proof they were involved.

Fraser disagreed.

“The photos demonstrate horrific injuries to Miss Williams all over her body that led to her death, particularly to her head, jaw, neck and face. Her lip and one ear had been ripped off. She was covered in blood,” Fraser said.

“Miss Williams died a most horrible death.”

Court heard that the woman’s wounds were grievous: multiple cuts and bruises to her head and neck; the vertebrae just below her skull fractured, as was the bone under her jaw; injuries to her jugular vein branches and carotid artery; bruises on her legs and cuts on her arms.

A witness told the court she saw the three dogs surrounding a person and were growling and snapping their jaws at Williams as she lay on the ground. But the witness conceded she didn’t actually see the dogs biting Williams.

Fraser deemed the discrepancy of little consequence.

“Based on this evidence I draw the inference that all three dogs were attacking Miss Williams and participated in causing her horrific injuries,” Fraser said.

“I cannot determine which dog caused which injuries Miss Williams suffered. It is enough that all participated. These dogs have demonstrated they are dangerous.”

Bagaric told CityNews outside the Calgary Courts Centre following the hearing that today was an awful day.

“I’m waiting for a phone call and then hopefully I can go and say bye [to the dogs] today and close this book,” he said.

Despite his sadness in losing his animals, Bagaric says the loss of Williams is the biggest tragedy.

“The worst thing about this is a woman lost her life,” he said. “It’s the worst thing in the world.”

-With files from Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press and Shilpa Downton