No charges in ‘terrifying’ off-leash dog attack at Bayfront Park

A Hamilton man wants action taken after an attack against his tiny dog at Bayfront Park left him with a $2,000 vet bill.

Rodney Tyczkowski's routine walk along the harbour ended in traumatic" fashion May 9 after his little Shih Tzu was seriously injured by an unleashed dog more than twice its size.

I haven't been able to sleep since," he said.

Tyczkowski said he and his leashed pup, Maxwell, were about to walk up a hill at the popular park when a man started screaming and cursing" at him to get his dog out of the way. Out of nowhere, he said, the man's large, unleashed bullmastiff lunged at Maxwell and tossed him around.

It was very sudden and terrifying," he said. The man got his dog off, but 10 seconds later it came back lurching, attacked Maxwell again and scratched me in the face."

The owner of the bullmastiff quickly fled.

Tyczkowski, meanwhile, remained at the scene where paramedics eventually arrived to assess the scratch on his face. He later took his ailing dog to an emergency vet clinic, where they told him Maxwell had a punctured leg and three cracked ribs.

And we were lucky. They said it could've been much worse because of his size."

While people who witnessed the attack took photos of the man's licence plate and contacted animal services, Tyczkowski said he's been frustrated with the lack of action the city has taken.

No charges have been laid against the owner under the animal services bylaw yet. Beyond that, Tyczkowski said the city has also refused to provide him with the name of the bullmastiff owner, who he is considering taking to court to cover his vet bill.

It is private information that we cannot release," an animal control officer told Tyczkowski over email this week. You will have to apply for an FOI (freedom-of-information request)."

In a statement, the city didn't confirm whether the owner has been identified, saying only that it's an active" investigation.

Information is still being gathered and confirmed," said Monica Ciriello, director of licensing and bylaw services.

Luckily, Maxwell is on the mend and recovering well from the attack, Tyczkowski said. But he worries for the safety of other people and pet owners in the neighbourhood.

I think that dog should have a mouthguard and be on a harness in public," he said. For the sake of other dogs and people, the owner should be found."

Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com