GUELPH - Charges have been issued against a homeowner after seven dogs repeatedly escaped the backyard of the home and created fear and concern in an east Guelph neighbourhood.
Door-to-door mail delivery on Algoma Drive and surrounding streets was temporarily suspended by Canada Post after it conducted a safety assessment and a community mailbox was installed afterwards on Montana Road near Algoma Drive.
The change in delivery was due to dogs escaping from their Algoma Drive home, wandering the streets, barking and showing their teeth, said neighbours in the area, previously reported by GuelphToday.
There have been 18 charges and four summonses, to appear before court, issued after violations under the Dog Owner’s Liability Act, a provincial act and 14 fines issued for violations under Guelph’s animal control bylaw, said Doug Godfrey, general manager of operations for the City of Guelph.
He acknowledged the City of Guelph's corporate and community safety division and the Guelph Humane Society (contracted by the city to provide animal control services) are aware of the concerns related to the seven dogs on Algoma Drive.
He provided the list of charges:
- Attacking a domestic animal - one charge
- Dog poses a menace to the public or domestic animals - three charges
- Allow dogs to run at large - six charges
- Fail to obtain animal license - seven charges
“As these matters are before the court and as we continue to investigate, at this time, we are unable to discuss the situation further,” said Godfrey in the email.