Whitehorse dog at centre of court fight back at pound
There's a new twist in the months-old saga over Trevor, the Whitehorse shelter dog at the centre of a Yukon court case, after the pooch was taken back to the pound late last week.
A city bylaw officer took Trevor into custody on Friday after he was spotted in public without a muzzle, which goes against a court order requiring the Rottweiler-shepherd cross to be muzzled whenever he's out of his kennel at the Humane Society Yukon's Mae Bachur Animal Shelter.
"Trevor was observed on Copper Road with a walker from the Humane Society. Trevor did not have his muzzle on," bylaw chief John Taylor told CBC News on Monday.
Trevor was actually spotted twice that day: in one case, he was tied to a tree alone outside a Whitehorse brewery, while in the second instance Trevor's volunteer walker took off the muzzle and allowed a woman to pet the dog.
Following a Yukon Supreme Court hearing on Monday afternoon, Trevor was allowed to return to the humane society shelter.
Shelter officials said the volunteer who had walked Trevor on Friday will not be allowed to walk him anymore.
Trevor made national headlines this past summer when the Yukon Supreme Court was asked to stop the city from destroying the dog after he had bitten several people.
The humane society, which cared for Trevor after he was rescued from abuse early this year, had been caring for the dog since it won a temporary injunction in August.
Deemed dangerous, anti-social
The court has yet to decide Trevor's future. An animal behaviour specialist who assessed Trevor concluded that he will always be a dangerous and anti-social dog, but his behaviour could be managed with the right owner.
"It was a human action that took the muzzle off, not the dog, so I'm confused as to why the dog is being punished for something a person did," said Whitehorse resident Kevin Sinclair, one of the dog's advocates.
Taylor said Trevor is not being punished this time, and the city is not asking to euthanize the dog. Rather, he said, the city just wants to ensure the safety of its citizens.
"Trevor doesn't have any lifelines here. He might bite someone," he said.
"The specialist was very, very adamant that he wear his muzzle, and not wearing the muzzle is a breach of the order."
During Monday's court hearing, Justice Ron Veale said the bylaw officers did the right thing by seizing Trevor.
Veale also notified the humane society that they could face hefty legal fees or even contempt of court charges if Trevor is seen without his leash or muzzle again.
In addition to wearing a muzzle, Trevor is also required to be on a leash whenever he's not in his kennel at the animal shelter.
Taylor said the legal fight over Trevor has already cost the city about $25,000 in legal fees.