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ANIMAL WATCH - Three Pit Bulls involved in a September 2024 deadly mauling of a pet 13-year old Border Collie in the City of Kamloops’ North Shore were later caught by Kamloops bylaw officials, according to City Community Services Manager Will Beatty.
(Photo of Border Collie – not actual victim)
All three of the Pit Bulls scaled a fence and savagely mauled a 13-year-old Border Collie, named Heidi, to death just after 6:00 a.m. and then jumped back out.
After later being caught by Kamloops bylaw officials, all tested positive for Methamphetamine and/or Cocaine, the City confirmed, according to the Canadian Press. (Kamloops is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada.)
The City went to court to obtain an order to have them euthanized.
Beatty added that, “an investigation involving the City, veterinarians and animal behavior specialists found the Pit Bulls beyond rehabilitation.”
However, he assured the public that the decision to apply to have the dogs euthanized was “made with a heavy heart in multiple ways,” he said.
“It’s a very passionate scenario. You’ve got dog owners that have dogs that they love that they have never seen those dogs do this before. And you also have a … dog owner that is grieving the loss of their dog.”
He also emphasized that it is his responsibility “to ensure that the community is safe, that all dogs are being kept in a responsible manner.”
Beatty said the city is going to provincial court to get authorization to destroy the animals. No charges have been brought against their owner by police or the SPCA.
UNCLEAR HOW THE DOGS CONSUMED THE DRUGS
He said it’s unclear and difficult to determine how the dogs consumed the drugs.
“You have to also look at the totality of circumstances,” he said. “Did they ingest them in (the) community, or did they ingest them at the actual house itself?”
“The dogs returned to their residence and at the request of the CSO’s with the dog owner, they were surrendered,” Beatty said. “
“Part of a routine investigation would look like attendance to vets, toxicology reports, as well as the deceased animal itself being reviewed by a vet and a report to suggest how the deceased animal died.”
“The officer will follow up with any findings if there are violations for either dogs at large, if there are more sanctions that have to be put in place based on the dog responsibility bylaw,” he said. He stated they are working with both dog owners.
At this time, it is not clear how long the investigation may take or whether the three dogs will be put down.
“It’s a very traumatic, tragic incident that occurred, and we want to make sure that the public is safe,” Beatty said. “And if the dogs that allegedly did the attack are in our care and control, we feel that the public is safe. We won’t release the dogs if they happen to be aggressive.”
REQUEST FOR HELP FROM THE PUBLC
Beatty says people who have had incidents with any of the three pit bulls in the past, OR “If there were reports of that on social media, I would definitely encourage folks to call it in to Community Services, even if it is a bit of a late report,” he said.
“If there is evidence to suggest that these dogs are aggressive, they’re not dogs that we want in our community, and we’re very keen on making sure that the decisions that are made are made by experts.”
TEST SHOWED PIT BULLS WERE HIGH ON DRUGS
“Two of the dogs tested positive for amphetamine, as well as cocaine. The third dog tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and cocaine,” Beatty confirmed.
Beatty says while the animal behavior specialist who reviewed the dogs after-the-fact noted that stimulants were in the dog’s systems at the time, he says that wasn’t enough to sway the decision to apply to have the dogs euthanized.
Charges against the owner of the dogs by either the RCMP or the BCSPCA are not anticipated.
SCIENTIST’S OPINION OF METH AND DOG BEHAVIOR
TEXAS A&M Study: Possible Methamphetamine exposure in a dog (August 8, 2024, Travis Mays, MS, PhD)
Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. Because of its increasing illicit availability, accidental or intentional exposure to methamphetamine in dogs is becoming a more likely scenario. The diagnosis of methamphetamine toxicosis should be based primarily on the recognition of the clinical signs of extreme agitation, seizures, tremors, persistent tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia, and other sympathomimetic effects. Other drugs such as cocaine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylxanthines, or strychnine can cause similar central nervous system stimulation and must be included in a differential diagnosis list for methamphetamine toxicosis.
For more information about TVMDL’s test offerings, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call 1.888.646.5623
Police: Ashville Pit Bulls “Under the Influence of Cocaine” Long before Deadly Attack
In an update on October 30, 2024, WSYX (Ashville, OH) reported that“ Weeks after a Pickaway County judge ordered the removal of two pit bull terriers from the Ashville home of Susan and Adam Withers in September, police say they responded to a call at the home in which they “believed the dogs were under the influence of cocaine.”
ABC6 News obtained the court complaints filed against Adam Withers in Circleville Municipal Court, where police say “his dogs got loose last week from his Kildow Court condominium and attacked Jo Ann Echelbarger, 73, who lived next door, while she was gardening in her yard.
As a result of here injuries, she died at Grant Medical Center injuries incurred during that attack, police claim.
After the fatal attack, Ashville Police charged Withers and his mother with involuntary manslaughter, indicating in submitted documents indicating that the dogs' tags were in Susan Withers' name.
Prior to this, the Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association had sent warning notices dating back to 2015, citing complaints that their dogs had been loose on the property, and they needed to be leashed.
The Association had taken prescribed steps in issuing fines and an order of removal notice last November after receiving complaints that two people had been bitten and a pet dog was killed in attacks last year. The Association filed a civil lawsuit against the Withers this year, which resulted in the judge ordering that the dog be removed by September 11.
Then two weeks later--September 27---“Ashville Police responded to Kildow Court and reported “they found Adam Withers lying in the roadway with his dogs. His dogs were loose, and he appeared intoxicated, and also admitted to quickly “ingesting all his cocaine prior to their to their arrival.”
The court complaint written by the responding officer described that, “One dog was unable to use its back legs. I believe that both of the dogs were exposed to the drugs."
Police arrested Withers and charged him with disorderly conduct, but there was no indication the dogs were removed. Other charges for violating the dangerous dog ordinance were dropped.
A series of other charges against Withers had been dropped that had been filed by Chief Dog Warden Preston Schumaker over the last year.
The complaints in each case stated Withers violated the ordinances for dangerous dogs regarding insurance, confinement, and registration. Some violations in that statute could mean the euthanization of a dangerous dog.
The last case filed against Withers by Chief Schumaker was dismissed by the Circleville law director in August of this year. Law Director Kendra Kinney told ABC6 News Friday that the charges were not filed under the correct subsection of the law.
LOOKING BACK ON DRUGS: NOT A NEW TRAGEDY
HOUMA, LA - On April 4, 2014, Mia DeRouen, 4, was killed by a dog which attacked her in March. A second dog in the home at the time of the attack is being tested for steroids., according to WVUE News
Veterinarians have tested a Pit Bull that was present when another dog attacked and killed a four-year old girl in Houma in March.
They are looking to see if the dog, Khloe, may have been injected with steroids, according to Houma police. That dog was at the apartment when another dog attacked Mia DeRouen.
However, investigators said they were not able to determine if the attack dog, Niko, tested positive for steroids because the hormone cannot be detected in dead animals.
Also, results of the steroids test could take anywhere from 5 to 10 days to come back.
The family retained an attorney, according to police.
Officers said they had no choice but to shoot the dog that fatally attacked the child. But they say they did determine it did not have rabies.
The girl died in a hospital and her mother was also injured in the attack.
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee, an animal activist and a contributor to CityWatch.)
