What’s behind a rise in dog attacks?

In today’s The Big Story podcast, recent weeks have seen gruesome and tragic incidents in both Toronto and Edmonton involving dogs attacking children, leaving one child dead and another with life-changing injuries. Those stories are backed by hard numbers from many Canadian cities — including Toronto and Edmonton — showing a surge in attacks or dangerous incidents over the past couple of years.

Dr. Tim Arthur is an Ottawa veterinarian and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association President-elect.  “I think that’s one of our big flaws right now, […] it’s a manpower issue and you can’t watch people all the time. And when I go through these biting incidences, and I think you’ve already noticed it, a lot of these dogs have already come in contact with enforcement agencies,” said Dr. Arthur. 

What’s behind the spike in attacks? Is it pandemic puppies, as some suggest? Lax enforcement? Incompetent owners? All of those and more? And more importantly, what are we doing about it?

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