A dog recently mauled a sheep on Pratt Road in Elphinstone, but Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) bylaw manager Peter Longhi said a lack of eyewitnesses leaves bylaw officers unable to press charges.
"We don't have any documented witnesses as to the attack, and that's what we're trying to pin down. We understand that there was a lot of circumstantial evidence but nothing that we can really hang our hat on and move forward with any kind of litigation," Longhi said.
"We've kind of put the owners of the sheep on notice that when and if a dog returns to do any more damage or harass the sheep in any way, that they should be out there taking pictures of some sort. And the owners of the dog who we suspect might be the guilty animal, we don't know for sure, they've just been put on notice to contain the dog. As it stands right now, we're in a holding pattern to see if that will resolve the issue."
He said the sheep that was attacked suffered gashes and had to be stitched up, but it's "doing OK."
If the dog can be identified by an eyewitness as inflicting the damage, Longhi said the dog could be seized and possibly put down.
"It could include [putting the dog down] if it has a history, but we can't do anything like that yet because we really don't have enough evidence," Longhi said.
He said a dog is allowed to run freely on its own property, but when it steps outside the property lines, the dog is considered running at large, which is a ticketable offence.
Dogs also have to be under the control of the owner at all times when outside the property.
"That may mean by way of a leash or by way of commands that exhibit complete control. If a dog is good at heeling and won't jump at the sign of a rabbit or a cat then that's considered to be in control. If it bolts after a cat when it's walking freely beside an owner then that's not in control and that's running at large," Longhi said.
In an effort to deal with dog complaints like this recent sheep mauling, Longhi said there is an updated bylaw coming forward this year.
"There will be some significant changes in the care of dogs and restrictions on how they will be able to run at large. In some cases, they may not be able to at all. It just depends on the breed and the history," Longhi said.
"It'll help with a lot of people's concerns that we've heard over the last few years about the care of dogs inside properties as well as outside properties. I think they're positive steps and I think they should be well received by the community in general."
He is unsure when that new bylaw will make its way to the SCRD board for discussion and possible adoption, but he said the public will be kept up to date by way of the SCRD bulletin page in Coast Reporter.
As for this recent incident, Longhi hopes the public understands that documented evidence is essential for laying a charge.
