Pit bulls win court reprieve

A St. John's man who pleaded guilty to letting two pit bulls run loose at a city-owned park will get to keep them.

Jason English, 28, admitted to letting his two dogs out in September 2006 at the dog park by Quidi Vidi Lake, in the east end of St. John's.

The pit bulls bit and injured another dog. The incident sparked a debate two years ago about controls on aggressive dogs, with Andy Wells, then the mayor of St. John's, insisting that city staff ticket owners.

In court last month, English's lawyer appealed to provincial court Judge Gloria Harding not to follow through on a Crown recommendation to put the dogs down.

At a hearing on Monday, Harding agreed, saying she could not see evidence that the dogs had been violent in other incidents.

English was also ordered to pay a $200 fine to the court and restitution of more than $500 to the owner of the other dog.