Pit bull cross that mauled man, killed cat must be euthanized, B.C. court rules

A dog with a history of attacking animals and people – leaving one cat dead and one man with life-altering injuries – must be euthanized, a B.C. court has ruled.

A dog with a history of attacking animals and people – leaving one cat dead and one man with life-altering injuries – must be euthanized, a B.C. court has ruled.

The case decision involving a pit bull mastiff cross named Buddy was handed down in provincial court in Abbotsford last month and published online this week.

The animal control officer for the Fraser Valley Regional District was seeking an order that the dog be declared dangerous, and "destroyed." Judge Danielle Dunn wrote in the ruling, noting that the criteria for such a declaration was whether there were "reasonable grounds to believe that Buddy is likely to kill or seriously injure a person."

The evidence the court considered included reports made to the animal control officer dating back to 2019. That year, Buddy was reported to have been "at large" in the community, and had to be seized and returned to his owner, Tanya Badke.

In February of 2020, when Buddy – who was off leash – was "aggressive with a family, ripping their clothes with his jaws and knocking one of the family members over, causing some bruising," the decision said.

Two years later, the pit bull cross attacked a dog and caused injuries serious enough to require surgery. A month after that, Buddy attacked the same dog a second time causing "visible but less serious injuries," Dunn wrote.

In April of 2022 – after an attack on another dog – Buddy was officially declared "aggressive" which the decision explains meant he had to be microchipped, muzzled in public, and confined to an enclosure.