Frankie was attacked by 2 pit bulls on a walk in Walnut Grove last month, and his family's petition for tougher laws has over 15,000 signatures.
A family of a Chihuahua mauled to death by two off-leash dogs has paid an emotional tribute to their “spunky, fun-loving and kind” pup as their petition calling for dog ownership legislation reform surpassed more than 15,000 signatures.
Frankie, a 2-year-old Chihuahua, had been out on a walk with his owner Megan Gulliford’s mother near the parking lot of the Sandman Hotel in Walnut Grove in Langley last month when two off-leash pitbulls attacked him.
According to the family’s Change.org petition - which has now surpassed 15,000 signatures - Megan’s mother “had to watch her baby boy be mutilated, ripped apart, and killed” in the brutal attack, as well as suffering a “bitten and severely bruised hand/wrist and wounds from falling on pavement and a bite under her chin near her neck” as she tried to save her puppy.
The family says as well as being off-leash, the dogs were not tied to anything and the owner was “nowhere in sight until our Frankie was almost dead”, claiming they also “did nothing to stop the attack”, along with other bystanders.
Speaking on behalf of her family to OhMyDog!, Megan’s sister, Kaitlyn, said how her mother’s “emotional injuries will never heal” and that “she is suffering mentally from this very traumatic event.”
She said her mother spoke with the RCMP at the time, but was told the matter was not a criminal issue and passed its file onto Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS), who told OMD! that they were unable to confirm details regarding the pitbulls due to privacy reasons, adding that its investigation had now closed.
Faye Wightman, interim Executive Director of LAPS, said the society operates under and is limited to the animal control bylaws of the Township of Langley, adding it “is not a part of the justice system and as such does not get involved in any criminal situations should that be seen to be occurring.
“We are an animal protection society and as such care about the humane treatment of all animals. As such our condolences go out to the animal that was killed in the altercation that occurred in the parking lot at the Sandman Hotel in July.”
However, according to Kaitlyn and an update on the family’s petition, one of the two dogs in the attack has been euthanized by LAPS, with the other being returned to the owner.
She said LAPS had not used her mother’s statement in its initial assessment and were letting both dogs be returned to the owner, but after protesting outside the society, the charity reopened their file and included her mother’s statement in their final decision.
A RCMP spokeswoman was unable to confirm details of the police report.
Fighting for Justice for Frankie
The traumatised family are now honouring Frankie’s legacy by “fighting so this traumatic situation doesn’t happen to others and other fur babies” and have spoken with their local MLA for Langley, Megan Dykeman, about improving dog ownership legislation so that owners will be deemed criminally responsible for the actions of their pets. Kaitlyn said that Ms Dykeman had also forwarded the family’s request for federal law changes to Langley MP Alistair MacGregor.
Paying tribute to their pup, Kaitlyn said: “Simply put, Frankie was a human in a chihuahua’s body. There is not one person who didn’t automatically fall in love with him when they met him. He was spunky, fun-loving, cuddly, playful, and so kind to everyone. He would play so nicely with other dogs and humans.
“His favourite toy was his ‘stringy’, which he would play tug-of-war with, with his cousin and best friend, Ruby (Megan’s dog). His favourite place was anywhere outdoors. He loved hiking with me, he was so mighty. He also loved Williams Park with my mom and step-dad and going to dinner on dog-friendly patios.
“Of course, he also loved his daily walks and knew exactly where his harness was when you would say “harness!”. He was the smartest little guy ever. He will be forever missed and will always be in our hearts.”
To sign the petition, visit the family’s Change.org site or visit the Justice for Frankie Facebook page.