The woman charged after two Akita dogs attacked a man, a woman, and a dog on a Mountain View County acreage near Didsbury in July will go to trial in November.
Andrea Marie Strang pleaded not guilty before Commissioner Danny Elliott in Didsbury provincial court Friday to three charges under Mountain View County's animal control bylaw: two counts of allowing a dog to bite and one count of allowing a dog to cause damage to property.
On July 26, a 27-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, as well as their pet beagle, were returning home to their rental suite southwest of Didsbury when the Akitas, a male and a female, in the garage at the property attacked them, police say.
The female Akita lunged at the woman and when the man tried to intervene, the male dog attacked him. The couple only escaped the garage after repeatedly striking the animals with a pipe.
Both the woman and the man suffered extensive bite wounds on their arms, torsos, hands and thighs. The couple's beagle received severe bite wounds.
Last month the owner of the dogs agreed to have them put down.
Strang did not attend Friday's court session. Her lawyer, Roy Shellnut appeared on her behalf and entered the not guilty pleas.
At the same time the Crown withdrew three charges against a second individual, Derek Tessier, who was also charged following the July 26 attack.
Outside court, Shellnut said his client is very upset about the entire case.
“It's stressful for her and it's stressful for everyone. It's not that this doesn't upset her. How would it not upset her? However, there's a difference between putting your dogs down and saying you are guilty of some kind of negligence,” he said.
Asked what his defence strategy may be, Shellnut said, “They are bylaw offences so they are due diligence offences in terms of were you diligent. That's the kind of defence she would have to these. It's not like a criminal offence.”
Mountain View County bylaw officer Amanda Stuhl, who is the chief investigator in the case, said outside court that she expects about five witnesses, including the man and woman attacked, to be called at the November trial.
“I was expecting the case to go to trial,” said Stuhl. “I've been in contact with her lawyer and was expecting the not guilty pleas.”
She said the charges were withdrawn against Tessier following discussions with the accused and the Crown.
Stuhl says the man and the woman attacked by the dogs are still struggling to cope.
“Mentally they are still going through a lot, and emotionally. They are having nightmares. It's going to take a long time for not only the physical but the emotional wounds to heal,” she said.
She said both the man and woman have been in contact with victims services, a support program run through the RCMP.
Andrea Strang's trial will take place in Didsbury provincial court on November 18. She faces a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or six months in jail on each charge.
