Amherstburg mayor says charges, muzzle order issued after dog attack

Charges have been laid in a dog attack in Amherstburg Ont., where two Rottweilers jumped a fence and attacked a child walking her dog.

The mayor of Amherstburg says three charges have been laid following a recent dog attack in the town.

Michael Prue says bylaw officers laid charges of allowing a dog to run at large, a dog attacking an animal and a dog attacking a person. A muzzle order has also been issued for the two dogs involved.

The charges stem from a May 12 incident in which two Rottweilers escaped from a neighbour’s backyard and attacked an 11-year-old girl, her mother and their family dog.

The girl had been walking the family dog around 10 a.m. in their neighbourhood when the attack occurred.

Prue says police responded and called bylaw enforcement officers, who arrived within minutes and gathered details before laying the charges.

The dogs had been kept in an enclosed space in the owner’s backyard, but the enclosure was not strong enough to contain them. The fence was repaired within days of the incident.

Prue is urging residents to be cautious around animals, particularly dogs that are not on a leash.