A B.C. judge has ordered the euthanasia of a pit bull, Ferb, involved in the fatal mauling of a neighbor’s 12-year-old collie, Heidi. The decision came after the pit bull, along with two other dogs, attacked Heidi in a backyard on September 8, 2024. The three dogs had jumped a fence into the neighbor’s yard, where they circled and attacked the defenseless collie.
Despite the difficulty in determining which of the three pit bulls directly caused Heidi’s death, Judge Roy C. Dickey ruled that the evidence of a “pack mentality” led him to conclude that all three dogs participated in the fatal attack. Ferb was ordered to be euthanized as a dangerous dog, with the other two pit bulls, Snoopy and Bella, having already been euthanized following similar declarations.
Heidi’s owner testified that upon hearing a commotion, she discovered the three pit bulls attacking Heidi, who was lying on the ground covered in blood. A veterinarian’s examination revealed extensive injuries, including severed arteries, esophagus, and vertebrae, which confirmed the brutality of the attack.
The court’s decision was based on the circumstantial evidence that all three dogs acted together as a pack, circling the collie and fleeing the yard together after the attack. The judge concluded that Ferb, along with the other dogs, was involved in the violent incident. Ferb is to be euthanized within 31 days of the ruling.