Veteran pushes for harsher penalties after service dog attacked by another dog

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

Two months ago, Barrett and Tanner were attacked by a neighbourhood dog on the loose. Barrett is not just a companion, he's Tanner's lifeline, a trained service dog that helps him cope daily with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I lost it," Tanner said. "It was like I can't protect him, I have nothing."

Tanner is now urging Halifax municipal officials to strengthen animal bylaws. He's upset the owner of the aggressive dog was only fined, and argues there should be harsher penalties for attacks, particularly ones on service dogs.

Tanner left the military after breaking his back in 2012. He was diagnosed with PTSD three years later. He said he had trouble walking and struggled with his day-to-day life. Then in 2021, he met Barrett. 

"Before, I sat in my garage and drank," 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 his hind leg, drawing blood and leaving puncture wounds. When Tanner tried to protect Barrett, he was also bitten. A neighbour had to fend the dog off with a golf club.

Barrett has recovered from his physical injuries, but sometimes will refuse to walk near the spot where the attack happened.

Tanner said a Halifax Regional Municipality bylaw officer only fined the owner of the aggressive dog and no further action was taken.

"Dogs run around, fine ... but just the response, that's what's blowing my mind," he said. 

Dog attacks fall under a Halifax bylaw labelled "respecting animals and responsible pet ownership," which puts the onus on owners to prevent their dog from attacking a person or another animal, damaging property, running loose or making excessive noise.

"If a dog owner has violated the bylaw, either a municipal compliance officer or a police officer ... can issue a summary offence ticket, or a bystander who witnessed the offence could report it to 311 for an investigation to be initiated," municipal spokesperson Laura Wright said in an email.

Wright said during the investigation, a compliance officer will gather evidence and consider the dog's history. If the owner is found to be in violation of the bylaw they could face a variety of penalties, such as fines and the requirement to muzzle the dog when it leaves the property.

The dog could also be declared dangerous and subject to various restrictions, such as the requirement that it be in a escape-proof enclosure if loose on its property, and on a leash and under control of an adult when it leaves the property. It could also be seized by animal services.

In 2021, municipal councillor Kathryn Morse put forward a motion to "simplify and streamline" the process of removing dangerous dogs from their owners and determining what then happens to the animals. This followed three dog attacks in nine months in her district.

Morse declined a recent interview request on the topic, saying the municipal staff report should come to council in December, and "there is 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 neighbours concerned for the safety of their children.

Wright said she could not address the investigation into Barrett's attack because of privacy reasons. Tanner said he pushed for the dog to be declared dangerous, and to be reimbursed for vet bills, but so far neither have occurred. 

"I asked the compliance officer to ask this person, 'What's your dog's vet status? Has it got rabies shots?'" Tanner said. "I don't know ... Nothing, still nothing."

Paws Fur Thought, a non-profit organization that pairs veterans with service dogs, is supporting Tanner as he rehabilitates Barrett. They are also backing him in his fight to have attacks on service dogs treated more seriously than those on pet dogs. 

"I consider ... the psychiatric service dog a medical tool," said Kim Gingell, the organization's intake co-ordinator. "They help the person with mental health issues get through the day, move forward, do things."

Gingell said a service dog being attacked can be "catastrophic" for both the dog and the handler. 

"They have to trust their handler 100 per cent," she said. "And if that trust isn't there, they can't work. So this could completely ... end things.

"It's like a diabetic losing their insulin."

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

Tanner said he is speaking up because he wants the dozens of veterans who rely on service dogs in Nova Scotia to not have to go through the same thing he is dealing with after Barrett's attack.

"I think I have to put my fears aside, because that's what we were trained to do."