A dispute over the breed of a stray dog that was picked up by animal control in Chatham-Kent could mean it won't be reunited with his family for the holidays.
Myriam Armstrong, the operations manager at Pet and Wildlife Rescue (PAWR) told Blackburn News on Thursday afternoon the dog named Zeus was impounded on Wednesday after it was deemed to be a pitbull.
Under the Dog Owners' Liability Act, Armstrong said peace officers, including bylaw enforcement officers, can determine if the dog fits the characteristics of a pitbull and if the owner chooses not to surrender the animal, then court proceedings would begin. She added that the owner must provide enough evidence to the court in order to prove the dog is not an illegal pitbull, before a decision to release the animal or euthanize it is made.
"Such proceedings take months to years and during that time the dog would be housed at the shelter. Since this dog was surrendered by the owner yesterday [Wednesday], we can now transfer the dog to another province and avoid additional stress on the animal and a possible destruction order," said Armstrong.
Armstrong emphasized this is never easy nor pleasant.
There have been protests in front of the PAWR building to return Zeus to the family. The dog’s owner is Shawn Hall and his post on Facebook reads he can't believe the support everyone is showing him.
"Thanks for everything everyone!" he wrote.
Hall's fiancé Erika Hickmott also posted a comment on Facebook saying the family of eight is devastated about losing Zeus after he escaped from the backyard under the fence.
"We will not allow Zeus to live in a dog pound for two years," she wrote. "He is not aggressive. He is the most loving and caring pup you will ever meet."
Hickmott also said the shelter allowed three of their children to say goodbye to Zeus.
A local man has written a letter to Mayor Darrin Canniff asking him to intervene and help the dog owner in the matter. Jeff Allen is demanding that the mayor and council take immediate action to hold PAWR accountable for "overstepping their mandate."
"They have seized a local family’s American Bulldog, and have falsely claimed that it “looks like a pitbull”, even though the family has registration with the city, and documentation that the dog in question is a 100 per cent American Bulldog," wrote Allen.
A petition has also been started to bring Zeus home.
