An eight-year-old girl who was mauled by a massive dog - likely a pit bull - in Brossard is slowly recovering.
Vanessa (her family did not want to provide her last name) underwent a seven-hour surgery after her jaw and part of her ear and neck were torn in the attack.
Her grandfather is calling for an all-out ban on pit bulls. Despite news that his granddaughter is doing a bit better, Francois Biron chokes up every time he thinks of Vanessa.
“We're still under shock. Emotions still there, so we are totally devastated,” he said.
On Sunday, the eight-year-old was mauled by what police call a massive dog, weighing at least 100 pounds. Witnesses describe the dog as a pit bull.
“He hit the jaw, broke the jaw, destroyed the skin. The muscles and also the ears, partially the ears,” explained Biron.
Following the seven hours in surgery, Vanessa likely won't be able to eat solids for some time and will require rehabilitation.
“To learn how to speak first because she has difficulties to open up the mouth. The mouth is still under metal frames. Bolted,” said her grandfather.
Seeing his granddaughter suffer, Biron is now calling for a ban on pit bulls, not just in Brossard where the attack happened, but across the province.
“Dogs like this without a leash in total liberty without any supervision from their owners, it’s incredible that those things happen,” he said.
A spokesperson for the city of Brossard said the city does have a dangerous animal bylaw in effect; anyone who witnesses an animal that is behaving aggressively can call 911.
The city also said it has no plans to amend the bylaw and ban a specific breed of animal.
Quebec is in the middle of public hearings on Bill 54, its proposed animal welfare legislation and Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis said the handling of certain breeds of dogs, like pit bulls, is on the agenda.
“Imagine yourself, it's your daughter, your son, a close relative. It hurts. But now how to do you react to it? We're in the middle of studying legislation that deals with it,” he said.
The dog is now under the care of Refuge AMR and in quarantine while police conduct an investigation to determine whether criminal charges could be laid against the dog owner.
Refuge AMR director of operations Christina Williamson saidbanning a specific breed isn't the answer, it's about education instead.
“We have seen the gentle golden attack and disfigure a child. We've seen pit bulls. We've seen Rottweilers. We've even seen shih tzus. It's not fair to discriminate against any breed,” she said.
