A small town near Quebec City is grappling with how to handle runaway dogs after one that was deemed to be dangerous was shot dead in a schoolyard.
But the dog's owner says it wasn’t dangerous, just scared.
Jonathan Labrecque says Smogue was always eager to jump into his arms and lick his face as soon as he walked in the door.
The 18-month old American bulldog also understood sign language, and along with the family's other dog he helped to warn Labrecque’s deaf parents about people at the door and got their attention when the phone rings.
Just over a week ago, strong winds blew the door open and Smogue ran away.
Jonathan and his grandfather Luc spent the weekend looking for Smogue, not knowing the dog was already dead.
Four town employees cornered the dog in a schoolyard and shot him, reportedly with a rifle. Students were in class at the time.
“They had no business shooting the dog. They knew it was ours, and the dog was absolutely not aggressive. He loved kids, he was so gentle,” said Luc.
“They killed him, without warning me or anything,” said Labrecque.
The town manager told CTV Montreal’s Max Harrold that Smogue often ran around town and was considered dangerous when cornered because he bared his teeth.
A bylaw allows town officials to kill dogs they consider to be dangerous.
“For me, Smogue wasn’t just a dog. He helped my parents,” Labrecque said.
Many small Quebec towns don't have pounds or even an SPCA nearby
Animal rights activist Micheline Robitaille says the town of St. Philemon should have known better. Residents in the town told Robitaille Smogue was not aggressive.
“Even if a dog is supposedly dangerous, you still need training” to deal with it, she says.
How and where to kill a dog will be discussed at the town’s next council meeting, scheduled for Monday. Officials will discuess whether the town's bylaw still makes sense.
