Charges laid in fatal dog attack in Calgary

Charges have been laid in connection with a dog attack that left an elderly woman dead in Calgary last month.

Betty Ann Williams, 86, succumbed to her injuries after she was attacked by three dogs in an alleyway by her home on June 5.

Police say two people — owners of the dogs — have been charged with 12 counts under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, with an investigation into possible criminal charges still ongoing.

“A lot of the information that led and supported us laying these charges came directly from evidence that was gathered by CPS. And of course we had a peace officer who arrived first on scene and was able to provide information as well,” chief bylaw officer Ryan Pleckaitis said on Wednesday.

The dog owners, Denis Bagaric and Talyn Calkins, are facing three offences “for an animal attack on a person causing severe injury,” three offences “for an animal attack to a person,” three offences “for an animal bite to a person,” and three offences “for an animal running at large.”

If convicted, each offence can carry a maximum penalty of $10,000 and up to six months in prison.

The three dogs involved in the attack were seized after the incident. They continue to be held pending a Dangerous Dog Act application that was submitted by the city to the courts.

That application is requesting the animals be put down humanely. That application goes to court next week.

“We’ve done vet examinations on the animals so the issue of rabies is not a concern. But the dogs are still, obviously, alive and through this process we’re seeking to have them humanely euthanized as we believe that they pose a significant risk to public safety,” Pleckaitis explained.

In the initial update, police said nearby neighbours, including the owner of the dogs, tried to intervene in the attack. CPS said the owner managed to pull the dogs away before emergency crews arrived.

The owners were also said to have been cooperating with the investigation in June. The dogs are believed to have escaped from their owners’ backyard before the attack.

“For the purposes of this bylaw, we don’t need to know why they got out, we need to know that they did get out,” Pleckaitis said.

He confirmed at a news conference that there is a continued investigation into the 9-1-1 call, which has still not been released to the public.

Related articles: 

• Elderly woman dead after dog attack in northwest Calgary

• Calgary’s mayor says EMS dispatch system is to blame for fatality in dog attack

• EMS response to deadly Calgary dog attack under investigation

Meanwhile, the attack on Williams and her subsequent death has prompted an investigation into the EMS response to the scene.

On June 8, Alberta Health Services (AHS) said the 86-year-old waited 30 minutes for an ambulance and that the 9-1-1 call was initially treated as non-life-threatening. A day later, AHS said an independent review would be carried out.

The Health Quality Council of Alberta is looking into the “structure, processes, and protocols of the EMS response” to figure out why there was a 30-minute-delay.

The results of the investigation will be shared publicly when they are completed by September of this year.