Ontario councillor reports a dog attack. Now animal advocates are up in arms over the fate of ‘Rocky’ | 24CA News

For a number of weeks after being attacked by a canine whereas campaigning on this yr’s municipal election, St. Catharines metropolis councillor Joe Kushner says he felt help and sympathy from members of the neighborhood.

Recently, greater than two months after the incident, Kushner says he is obtained an onslaught of emails – and a few cellphone calls – accusing him of corruption and of attempting to have the canine put down.

“Until [recently], I was getting a lot of people who were concerned with my welfare,” stated Kushner, who says he was bitten thrice after a big canine jumped on him whereas he was door-knocking in early October.

“People were coming up to me on the street expressing sympathies, and also telling me about their experiences with dogs biting them.”

Suddenly, issues shifted.

One day in late November he started receiving what would finish as much as be greater than 100 emails from folks upset that the canine, Rocky, was being held by the Lincoln County Humane Society (LCHS), after the canine was ordered to be faraway from the homeowners. A court docket listening to was arising that might decide the canine’s destiny, and somebody related with the canine’s proprietor had created a Change.org petition that was gaining traction. 

The humane society says Rocky, who’s a large-size American Alsatian, has bitten a number of different folks previously and is an “aggressive” canine. Those taking part within the petition marketing campaign disagree.

“Today I’ve had three telephone calls: two were obscene, one was by a lady at 1 o’clock in the morning,” Kushner instructed CBC Hamilton, in the future in late November. “They used very vulgar language, saying that I am a fragile old man, that type of thing. [They said I am] a disgrace to being a city councillor.”

‘My shoulder nonetheless provides me ache,’ says councillor

Kushner says he was canvassing on Strada Boulevard together with his two grownup daughters Oct. 2 when a big canine lunged at him and knocked him on his again. He says he tried to kick the canine away whereas the canine bit him within the ankle and thigh, and that the canine’s proprietor ultimately pulled the canine away. 

“I must have been in shock because I handed him one of my election brochures,” Kushner instructed CBC Hamilton. 

He says he sustained three bites and a shoulder damage from the autumn. After searching for medical consideration, he says he obtained a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

“My leg has healed extremely well but my shoulder still gives me pain,” he stated.

The canine’s homeowners, Mark and Alba Kotyk, declined to remark, directing CBC to talk with paralegal David Marynuik, who didn’t reply to CBC’s inquiries. 

However, in emails between Mark and Diane Hines, the petition’s creator, Mark alleges Kushner has “omitted a lot, exaggerated a lot and downright lied about what happened” in previous media experiences.

Hines shared the emails with CBC.

According to his account within the emails, Mark says Kushner fell on his again in entrance of his home that day, “well out of the reach of Rocky.” 

Kushner says he gave a press release to the police after the assault. While Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Const. Barry Ravenek would not establish folks concerned, he did affirm to CBC Hamilton that officers had been known as to the world simply earlier than midday that day for an animal grievance. 

“The individual sustained minor injuries,” stated Ravenek in an e mail. “The dog was determined to have been in the front yard at the time and was tethered and confined to the property. No arrests or charges have been laid by the NRPS. The investigation has been turned over to the Lincoln County Humane Society.”

Dog’s previous victims embrace 11-year-old lady, says humane society

Kevin Strooband, government director of the LCHS, says the company’s data present Rocky has bitten two different folks previously, and that the canine’s supporters reference a fourth assault he was beforehand unaware of within the on-line petition.

One of the victims LCHS has a file of was an 11-year-old lady from the neighbourhood, who was chased down by an off-leash Rocky in 2019, pushed down and bitten on the again of her leg, above the knee. The lady required stitches, in keeping with the assertion her mom made to the humane society.

Strooband says consequently, the canine’s proprietor was convicted of permitting a canine to run at massive and charged a fantastic.

Local police say they turned over Kushner’s case to the LCHS, after he known as police to report the incident.

Strooband then ordered that Rocky be held by the humane society and the group launched authorized proceedings by means of the Dog Owners’ Liability Act in an effort to decide Rocky’s destiny. Possibilities embrace an order to euthanize the canine or his return with stipulations for the homeowners.

 He says a Justice of the Peace has ordered the group to carry the canine till additional directed by the courts. 

“The LCHS had no authority to release the dog, until further directed by a Justice of the Peace,” Strooband says, a reality the many individuals emailing the group asking it to set Rocky free seem unaware of, he added. “This is completely out of our hands.”

Animal welfare group says canine has mobility points

Hines’ on-line petition, titled “Please Help Save Rocky’s Life!” has been signed greater than 16,000 instances as of Thursday. Hines, who runs a hospice for previous and sick animals, shared emails with CBC that present Rocky’s homeowners got here to her for assist in getting phrase out concerning the state of affairs.

A more recent petition associated to the case, titled “Do not allow Rocky to be killed – he’s innocent” created by an Ontario group known as Reform Advocates for Animal Welfare has obtained greater than 7,000 signatures. It describes Rocky as “a sweet, elderly, 10-year-old dog who suffers from hypothyroidism and has mobility issues.” That petition claims Rocky knocked the councillor down however did not damage him.

Hines says that whereas she wasn’t there and did not see what occurred, she feels sure that Kushner and Strooband are colluding to have the canine put down.

“This is an extreme abuse of power,” she instructed CBC Hamilton, although she did not supply any proof of such abuse. 

Kushner says most of the feedback he has obtained by e mail allege he’s utilizing his council place to strain the court docket in an effort to place the canine down.

He says he not been concerned with the case since submitting the police report. “I don’t have that influence and I don’t try to have that influence,” he stated.

Rocky’s case involves court docket subsequent on Thursday. Strooband says a deal could possibly be made outdoors of court docket that might enable for the canine’s launch, or the court docket might set a date for a listening to, which “would be almost certainly in the new year.” 

He provides that regardless of the furor, he has no regrets about ordering the canine to be faraway from its homeowners.

“It’s a danger to the community,” he stated. “If it bit somebody else, there would be 13,000 signatures calling for my head.”