A New Brunswick pet owner is upset after her dog was attacked by another dog and had to be put down. Other than handing out a $140 fine to the other owner for not having it on a leash, there is nothing more that can be done, Jodie Laviolette was told.

His name was Hank.

He was a seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier. He loved people, was active, and just wanted to play, according to one of his two owners.

“He didn't have a mean bone in his body,” said Laviolette.

Laviolette says it was last Friday, when Hank was on a leash on the back deck of his other owner's home, when she says he was attacked by another dog.

“This dog had gotten loose from an adjacent building, had jumped over a railing, grabbed Hank by the hind quarters, and shook him,” said Laviolette.

She claims the dog was a pitbull.

When the dog released Hank – the owners panicked trying to find a vet clinic open on a Friday night.

They went instead to a Fredericton fire station, where first responders tried to make Hank comfortable, before taking him to the nearest vet.

Laviolette says nothing could be done and Hank succumbed to his injuries.

“Right now, something needs to change, because who's next?” she said.

Laviolette says they called the provincial SPCA and the RCMP.

“The most that they could give the owner was a $140 fine for her dog being off leash and out of her control,” Laviolette said.“One of the comments made was from one of the authorities was, unless it was a child or a human, that was bit or hurt, there was nothing they could do.”

A spokesperson for Fredericton Fire confirmed they assisted in a dog attack shortly after 9:30 last Friday night.

And while an SPCA animal protection officer couldn't confirm specifics of the case, they did say there's nothing more they can do in a situation like this -- other than the $140-dollar off-the-leash fine.

Two days ago, Calgary EMS confirmed a 50-year-old woman died after being attacked by her boxer-pitbull cross near her home just outside of the city.

That dog has since been quarantined.

Annette James of the Fredericton SPCA says it comes down to if the furry family member is well-socialized so that they know how to behave when they're out in public.

“More powerful breeds have more capacity of course because of the size of them, to do damage,” said James. “But really the responsibility comes down to making sure that they are socialized, that they are well-trained.”

Laviolette, whose mother owns a pitbull, agrees with that sentiment.

“I think sometimes she thinks she's a lap dog, very well mannered,” Laviolette said. “I know other people, my grandfather had a large black lab and Rottweiler mix, my mom has had several other large dogs, two of which were Rottweilers, all of which are large dogs, but it's all in the way they're trained, way they're raised.”

She just wishes more could be done.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.