How a pit bull that attacked a newspaper carrier last week died is uncertain.
Sarah Metzner, 15, was attacked on 117th Avenue as she was delivering newspapers July 24. The two-year-old dog jumped through a screen door, clamped its jaws on to Metzner’s left hand and wouldn’t let go until a police officer attempt to pry open its grip with a baton.
The dog died shortly after, but police say they don’t know exactly how, adding that the SPCA would know that.
SPCA, however, say their role was limited in the incident.
“Respectfully, I will send you back to the police as to how their constable dispatched the dog,” SPCA chief enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty said Thursday.
Moriarty said when SPCA arrived on scene the dog was already dead.
But the SPCA never took custody of the dog, which was returned to the owner.
“I’m finding it odd, why are the police being like this?” Moriarty asked. “I can’t comment on how their officer killed the dog, presumably, they filed the report.”
Some neighbours say the dog’s throat was slit, but Ridge Meadows RCMP Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said no knife was used and that at some point soon afterwards, the dog died.
Dunlop, though, said the police report doesn’t say what exactly led to the dog’s death and that a necropsy is needed for that.
“I’m not a vet or a person to determine what that could be. When you look at cause of death, it’s contributing factors. I can only say that it happened during that period of time.”
As for the officer’s report, “What it says is the baton was used to pry the dog’s mouth open.”
It also says a makeshift muzzle was used to control the animal.
The report doesn’t say what caused the dog’s death.
“We would never say that for sure.
“It’s something that’s difficult to answer. Because you had a number people involved, you had pressure on the dog. You had it being held in different places likely.