A woman from Toronto has been sentenced to a year in jail and banned from owning a dog for a decade after her pet attacked and severely injured a child last year.
Patrycja Siarek, the woman in question, will also be under probation for three years, during which time she is prohibited from residing with or taking care of a dog. Additionally, she is required to pay a $250 fine within two years.
Taking into account the credit for time already served in custody, Siarek is expected to spend 340 days behind bars.
The decision was made by an Ontario judge who emphasized that only a jail term could truly address the severity of the incident and Siarek’s level of responsibility.
Siarek had admitted to the charges of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and failure to prevent her dog from attacking someone, a violation under the provincial Dog Owners’ Liability Act.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Siarek had been instructed to keep her dog muzzled in public. However, she disregarded this directive by taking the animal to a dog-restricted playground, where she then unleashed and unmuzzled it.