Criminal charges will not be laid against the owners of three dogs involved in the killing of an 86-year-old Calgary woman this past June.
Calgary police released an update Tuesday saying that after conducting an investigation, speaking with several witnesses and contacting two Crown prosecutors, they have not found the necessary grounds for laying criminal charges in relation to the death of Betty Ann Williams. Police said the necessary elements to lay charges for criminal negligence causing death were not met in this case.
“As tragic as this incident is for those who knew the victim, as well as the community, laying criminal charges require that elements specified within the Criminal Code of Canada have been met,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Baker in a news release Tuesday.
Emergency personnel responded to reports that Williams had been attacked by three dogs near her home on 21 Avenue N.W. on the afternoon of June 5. She was transported to hospital in life-threatening condition but died shortly after. It is believed Williams was working on her yard at the time of the attack.
Baker said Tuesday that police found during their investigation that the dogs had been kept on their owners’ property behind a locked gate.
“We found the owners of the dogs took reasonable precautions in securing the animals within their property by using a locked gate. There is no way to prove the owners had knowledge the dogs would escape, as they had no history of previously escaping from this residence,” said Baker. “In addition, there was no sign of malicious intent on behalf of the dog owners.”
Baker said witnesses interviewed said they have had positive interactions with the dogs and that they had not previously attacked any other person.
Police said they recognize that this outcome may be disappointing to the public given that a life had been lost. They expressed their condolences to Williams’ family and friends.
The owners of the dogs have previously been charged under the Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw. They have been jointly charged with three offences for an animal attack on a person causing severe injury, three offences of an animal attack to a person and three offences of an animal running at large.
Police said they are also investigating potential fraud that relates to a GoFundMe page that had previously been set up to cover funeral expenses for Williams. They said that investigation is ongoing and did not provide any additional details.
The City of Calgary had previously filed an application to have the dogs, who have been kept in custody since the attack, be euthanized. That application was submitted to the Court of King’s Bench; however, a justice ruled such an application should first be filed to the Alberta provincial court.
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