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Ms. Thornton said the shih tzu is alive and recovering from the attack.

Police said they do not know who the owner of the deceased dog is.

Craig Ashbourne, a spokesperson for TCHC, said the pit bull did not belong do a TCHC tenant.

Residents in the neighbourhood told the National Post that pit bulls were bred in the building. Pit bull breeding has been illegal since the 2005 Dog Owner’s Liability Act and owners can face a $10,000 fine and six months jail time for noncompliance.

The law permits pit bulls born before 2005, provided they wore muzzles and had a maximum leash length of 1.8 meters.

“I’ve seen other pit bulls in the area and I’ve seen a pit bull puppy that looks just like the one that was shot,” said Ms. Thornton, who is raising her children in the neighbourhood.

Another area resident also reported seeing a pit bull puppy outside of the TCHC home.

Sammy Graja, who lives in the house, confirmed there are also female pit bulls in the area.

“Yes they are around, but they are OK though. They hang around the building from time to time and they have their own owners,” said Mr. Graja.

“The dog that was shot was actually a really friendly dog,” he added.

Other residents in the area didn’t feel as secure.

“The situation in the neighbourhood is out of control,” said one. “I feel threatened.”

Tammy Robbinson, spokesperson for Toronto Animal Services, said if a pit bull was born after the legislation was passed, the dog must leave Ontario.

“The person can surrender the dog to us and we then assess and try to send it to a rescue group outside of the province,” Ms. Robbinson said.