Residents of an Edmonton neighbourhood say a series of dog attacks has become a regular occurrence in their community, with one attack captured on camera in April and the aggression continuing in the weeks since, including another attack reported just last week. The repeated incidents have left families afraid to step out onto their own streets and into nearby green spaces.
Morgan Nato-Smith, who runs a nearby child care centre where some of the attacks happened, told CityNews that a family and one of her staff members were attacked by the same dogs. She said her fear has grown so intense that the children in her care are now forced to play inside a closed-off basketball court rather than outdoors, and that she has started keeping a bat in her car in case the dogs come near her.
We are the ones suffering, she said, describing a community that can no longer go for walks, jogs or trips to the splash park because they are scared of the dogs. She recounted how her partner and her daughter had been pinned against a fence by the animals, an experience that has reshaped daily life for families who once used the area freely.
The frustration is shared across the neighbourhood. A resident who also sits on the community league board said local children no longer want to go outside, and that his own daughter now refuses to return to the park. He described it as a tragedy that the children have been stripped of an active, outdoor experience that should be part of growing up in the area.
The dogs are owned by tenants living in the basement of a nearby home, and neighbours have been careful to stress that the people living upstairs are not involved. Speaking off camera to CityNews, both the homeowner and the basement tenant said there are now three dogs in the house, two of them about a year old. The tenant said they accept full responsibility and understand why neighbours are concerned, while insisting the dogs are not dangerous even though they appear aggressive.
Over the past month, the tenant said they have been working to keep the animals under control, submitting photographs that show extra locks on fences, tethers on trees and a routine of walking each dog one at a time. The tenant also said they intend to apologise to the neighbourhood and to work through the thousands of dollars in fines they have already received.
For many residents, the danger brings back memories of a 2024 dog attack that killed an 11-year-old boy, a case in which the owner was found guilty of criminal negligence causing death and is now awaiting sentencing. Animal Care and Control said it is aware of the attacks and has begun assigning more bylaw officers to patrol the neighbourhood. New rules introduced last month include mandatory pet training and higher penalties of up to 3,000 dollars, rising to 7,000 dollars for repeat offenders, and nine tickets have been issued since the laws took effect.