Veteran calls for tougher punishments after service dog attacked by another dog

These days, whenever Greg Tanner takes his yellow lab, Barrett, for a walk, he puts on gloves, extra layers of clothing, and carries a big stick. The Canadian Forces veteran is nervous about what he might find on the road from his rural home in East Dover, near Halifax.

Two months ago, Barrett and Tanner were attacked by a stray neighborhood dog. Barrett isn’t just a companion, he’s Tanner’s lifeline, a trained service dog who helps him deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder on a daily basis.

“I lost it,” Tanner said. “It was like I can’t protect him, I have nothing.”

Tanner is now urging Halifax city officials to strengthen the bylaws for animals. He is angry that the owner of the aggressive dog has only been fined and thinks there should be tougher penalties for attacks, especially those on guide dogs.

Tanner left the military after breaking his back in 2012. Three years later, he was diagnosed with PTSD. He said he had trouble walking and struggled with his daily life. In 2021 he met Barrett.

“I used to sit in my garage and drink,” Tanner said. “I was throwing my life away. This is what brought my life back.”

The dog that attacked Barrett in April bit him on the back leg, drawing blood and leaving stab wounds. When Tanner tried to protect Barrett, he was also bitten. A neighbor had to fend off the dog with a golf club.

Barrett has recovered from his physical injuries, but sometimes refuses to walk near where the attack occurred.

Tanner said an official from the Halifax Regional Municipality has only fined the owner of the aggressive dog and no further action has been taken.

“Dogs run around, fine…but just the reaction, that’s what blows my mind,” he said.

Dog attacks fall under a Halifax statute labeled “respect for animals and responsible pet ownership,” which requires owners to prevent their dog from attacking a person or other animal, damaging property, running loose, or making excessive noise.

“If a dog owner has violated the ordinance, a municipal compliance officer or a police officer … can issue a ticket for an infraction, or a bystander who witnessed the infraction can report it to 311 for an investigation to be launched,” municipal said spokesperson Laura Wright in an email.

Wright said a compliance officer will collect evidence and consider the dog’s history during the investigation. If the owner is found to be in violation of the bylaws, various penalties may be imposed, such as fines and an obligation to muzzle the dog when it leaves the premises.

The dog may also be declared dangerous and subject to various restrictions, such as requiring it to be in an escape-proof enclosure when off-leash on its property, and leashed and under the supervision of an adult when it leaves the property. It can also be confiscated by animal control.

In 2021, City Council member Kathryn Morse introduced a motion to “simplify and streamline” the process of removing dangerous dogs from their owners and determine what happens to the animals next. This followed three dog attacks in nine months in her district.

Morse turned down a recent interview request on the subject, saying the council staff’s report should come to council in December, and “there’s progress, it’s just slow.”

‘Still nothing’

Tanner provided CBC with the information he sent to the compliance officer, including vet bills, an RCMP report, a witness statement and statements from four neighbors concerned about the safety of their children.

Wright said she was unable to comment on the investigation into Barrett’s attack due to privacy concerns. Tanner said he insisted that the dog be declared dangerous and that he would pay back the vet bills, but so far that has not happened.

“I asked the compliance officer to ask this person, ‘What’s your dog’s vet status? Does he have rabies vaccinations?'” Tanner said. “I don’t know… Nothing, still nothing.”

Paws Fur Thought, a nonprofit that matches veterans with service dogs, is supporting Tanner in rehabilitating Barrett. They also support him in his fight for attacks on service dogs to be treated more seriously than those on dogs.

“I consider… the psychiatric service dog a medical device,” says Kim Gingell, the organization’s intake coordinator. “They help the person with mental health issues get through the day, move forward, do things.”

Gingell said a service dog that is attacked can be “catastrophic” for both the dog and the handler.

“They have to trust their supervisor 100 percent,” she said. “And if that trust isn’t there, they can’t work. So this could totally… put an end to things.

“It’s like a diabetic losing his insulin.”

Gingell said a service dog costs about $25,000 and undergoes significant training, so is difficult to replace. She said it usually takes her about 18 months to get someone a service dog.

Tanner said he is speaking out because he wants the dozens of veterans who depend on service dogs in Nova Scotia not to experience what he faced after Barrett’s attack.

“I think I should put my fears aside because that’s what we’re trained to do.”