Woman charged in connection with dog attack previously ordered to muzzle her dogs
The woman charged in connection with a dog attack in Toronto that left a nine-year-old child with "life-altering injuries" has previously been found by a court to be an irresponsible dog owner, CTV News has learned.
On Saturday morning, a family's day out at a playground near Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bathurst Street took a turn when an off-leash dog charged toward the child through an open gate.
Police said the dog bit and dragged the child to the ground, and after the father and the dog's owner got the dog to release the child, the owner fled. Patrycja Siarek, 38, was arrested and charged in connection with the incident, and a dog was seized. On Tuesday, Siarek was released on bail.
This is not the first time allegations have been made about Siarek's "irresponsible" dog ownership and her dogs' "vicious" behaviour.
Sabita Singh told CTV News Toronto she rented a condo to Siarek and her partner in 2021, a move that would soon devolve into a months-long, $100,000-dollar legal battle culminating in eviction.
"Right after they moved in, there were dog complaints," Singh said in an interview.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
A court decision from March 14, 2022, details a violent incident involving one of Siarek's two American Pocket Bullies in December 2021, where a resident and her own dog were “viciously attacked” and seriously injured.
"Her dog ran into the elevator on its own – lunged at that individual and the puppy," Singh said.
The court documents reveal that the City ordered the dogs to be muzzled publicly. Justice Fred Myers noted he saw video evidence of that order being ignored, as later that same month, one of Siarek's dogs was seen again going into the apartment elevator without a leash.
Myers added that he viewed multiple videos of Siarek "having to use her body weight to restrain one of the dogs from lunging at residents, including a child," and that she had trouble restraining her dogs physically.
"The video of the attack on December 4, 2021, leaves no doubt as to the vicious conduct of which the dogs are capable. They should not be in a condominium with people and children with owners who are not willing or able to protect their neighbours," Myers wrote in the decision.
According to Singh, animal control visited the unit as her former tenants were not complying with the rules of the Dangerous Dog order.
"We thought animal control was going to take the dog away at that point and instead they walked out of the building and handed the dogs right back to them," Singh said.
The court decision reveals the dogs were removed in February 2022, but since they were not ordered to be confiscated, they were returned to Siarek, who left with them.
It was later believed the dogs returned to the unit, as full dog bowls and pee pads remained inside the condo, dog droppings were found on two separate occasions on the balcony, and another resident, living directly below, testified that "a bag full of dog excrement had been dropped onto her patio and exploded."
After numerous warnings and missed court hearings, Myers determined that Siarek and her partner breached previous court orders and ordered their eviction.
"The issue here is that the tenants keep dogs that they do not train or control to avoid mauling people or others' pets," Myers wrote in his decision. "The dogs have been labelled 'dangerous' by the City. Yet the tenants have left the dogs roam the halls."
When Singh learned of Siarek's arrest on Sunday, she was horrified.
"I'm extremely angry by what happened. It could have been avoided and it's heartbreaking to see this child has been mauled as a result of this," Singh said.
"I'm disappointed in the city and specifically disappointed in animal control for not doing their job."
While animal services seized the dog involved in the latest dog attack, they declined to comment as the matter is currently in front of the courts.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Abby O'Brien
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.