Weyburn police officers enacted the City of Weyburn Bylaw last week, following a call on May 1st reporting an aggressive off-leash dog.
Sergeant Riley Ross with the Weyburn Police Service says they were able to identify the owner of the animal and determine what happened.
“Through that investigation, police were able to gather statements from the complainants and the witnesses, and we determined that the owner was allowing the dog outside of the residence in a public area off leash.”
“There is a bylaw that states that you can't allow your dogs to run off leash, so that dog owner was charged with allowing their dog to run at large under the City of Weyburn bylaw.”
Sgt. Ross explains the circumstances were investigated prior to laying charges, as they determined the dog was deliberately allowed off-leash.
“If your dog happens to sneak out the front door when the doors open or when the gates open, and we determined that it was an accident and it was kind of a first-time offense, we'll determine that through an investigation and use our discretion not to lay charges.”
The Weyburn Police Service responded to 78 calls for service between April 28 and May 4, resulting in nine charges: five under the Criminal Code of Canada, three under the Traffic Safety Act, and one under a City of Weyburn bylaw.