The City of Calgary has laid charges against an officer after his off-duty police dog escaped his yard and bit a boy.
Calgary Community Standards has laid four charges against the unnamed officer as part of the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. The officer is facing three counts of an animal running at large and one count of an animal attacking a person and causing severe injury, the city said in a statement Thursday.
On March 30, 12-year-old Ali Hassan was playing in the street near his home when a large canine charged him.
The boy ran into his home, where the dog followed and bit him on the thigh. He was taken to the children's hospital, where he received stitches.
"This decision reinforces how important it is for dog owners to keep their animals under control at all times,” Alvin Murray, manager of Calgary Community Standards, said in a statement.
The officer will be required to appear in court and could end up being fined up to $10,000.
CBC News reports the police dog, Marco, will be deported to the U.S. The force says it's in the "best interest" of the canine and the community.
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