A dog that attacked a mail carrier in Dawson Creek has been granted a reprieve, while the city has earned top marks from an animal behaviourist for its handling of the incident.



SPCA officials have entered an agreement that will allow a Dawson Creek household to keep its three-year-old pit bull terrier Dax, SPCA manager Wendy Davies told city council Jan. 23.



The dog bit two mail carriers last year, prompting a request from Canada Post to take action against the owners.



However, instead of seizing the dog and waiting for a lengthy legal process, the city opted to review the case with an animal behaviourist before taking any further steps.



The owner will be required to improve fencing on their property and train Dax using “positive reinforcement” methods, the report recommends.



If they fail to control the dog’s behaviour, the owners could now face criminal charges.



“Once an owner has been notified the animal could potentially cause harm, if those owners fail to contain that, that would fall under the Criminal Code of Canada (and) negligence causing bodily harm,” Davies said.



Dr. Rebecca Ledger, a Vancouver-based animal behaviourist, was brought in to assess Dax and make recommendations regarding his aggressive behaviour.



Ledger, who Davies described as “internationally renowned” in her field, was impressed with the city’s decision to assess the dog before seizing it and entering court proceedings.



In those cases, dogs can sit in kennels for more than a year while a case winds through the legal process.



Assessing the dog first and entering an agreement with the owner is more humane and saves money, Davies said.



“Essentially, we’re skipping the first steps and getting to the assessment part first, which is significantly less cost, and there’s significantly less welfare stress on the animal,” Davies said.



That has made the process less adversarial.



“I think there’s good feeling on both sides of this case,” she said. “Both people feel heard. It felt like a much more positive interaction.”



reporter@dcdn.ca

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