Dogs that bit, injured young girl were under muzzle order: Newmarket animal services
Animal services in Newmarket had prior concerns about the three dogs that mauled and severely injured a nine-year-old girl, placing the animals under a muzzle order following an incident last year.
York Regional Police responded to a call for an animal complaint at an address on Jackson Court around 6 p.m. on July 27.
Investigators said a man and his 9-year-old daughter had attended a residence to view puppies for sale when three dogs rushed out of the house and attacked the girl, who was bitten and seriously injured.
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She was rushed to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The girl has been released and continues her recovery at home, police said.
Newmarket animal services attended the residence, and the three dogs were euthanized. Ben Worthington, Animal Services Manager, tells CityNews that a muzzle order was issued following a dog-on-dog incident on September 19, 2022.
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“The town has received several concerns about the dogs on Jackson Court,” Worthington said. “As a result, Animal Services conducted significant monitoring of the location and issued charges anytime officers found evidence they were not in compliance with the muzzle order.”
Worthington confirmed animal services made the decision to euthanize the three dogs after the incident involving the nine-year-old girl.
“The Town of Newmarket and its Animal Services team continue to work closely with police through the investigation.”
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Newmarket’s muzzle order requires dogs to be muzzled anytime they leave a property and tethered or confined by a six-foot fence when on their property. It does not require any dog to be muzzled on the property of its owner.
On Tuesday, the dogs’ owner, 68-year-old Leslie Theodore Kovacs of Newmarket, was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Police said he was also charged with three counts of dog bite a person under the Ontario dog owners’ liability act.
The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on September 12.
