The owner of a dog accused of attacking three other dogs last month in the Auguston area of Abbotsford says he has taken precautions to prevent it from happening again.
Jamall, who did not want his last name used, said he has avoided walking his pit bull, Cyrus, in the neighbourhood until later at night and has been placing a muzzle on him.
Jamall said Cyrus has otherwise been confined to the backyard, where a high-security lock has been installed on the fence.
He said he has also ensured that Cyrus is on leash going to and from vehicles on the property.
Jamall said he was surprised at the incidents, because Cyrus has never had any previous problems.
Jamall and his parents adopted the dog from the SPCA about two years ago, after he had been in an abusive environment with his previous owners.
Jamall said Cyrus has an otherwise timid and shy demeanour.
"He's never been aggressive with a human. He's such a suck. He sleeps with me every night."
The family was issued two bylaw-infraction tickets by the city for having a "dog at large" after three incidents occurred within eight days.
Two of the incidents – on Feb. 12 and 19 – involved two pugs owned by Jamall's neighbours.
In the first case, Cyrus ran out of his front yard, grabbing one of the pugs by the neck as he was being walked by his owner.
In the second incident, Jamall was walking Cyrus on leash, when one of the pugs escaped from her owner and ran up to Cyrus, nipping at his legs and barking, resulting in Cyrus grabbing her by the neck.
Jamall said, in that case, Cyrus was defending himself.
In the third incident, on Feb. 20, a woman was walking her German shepherd when Cyrus bolted from his yard, grabbed hold of the dog's neck and wouldn't let go.
In that instance, Jamall said he was returning with Cyrus from a trip in his vehicle, and he had grabbed Cyrus by the collar to walk him into the home.
The collar had been improperly placed, and Cyrus got loose.
"It was our fault completely," Jamall admits, adding that he has since purchased a more secure collar.
Jamall said he hopes the extra precautions ensure there will be no further incidents and the neighbourhood can move forward.