Police have announced charges won’t be laid nearly eight months after a Nova Scotia boy was fatally attacked by three dogs in Shelburne County. The RCMP responded to a report of a dog attack in the 100 block of Upper Sandy Cove Road in Welshtown, N.S., on Jan. 3. Police say the boy was riding his bicycle past a property when he was mauled by two cane corsos and a Rottweiler. They were euthanized by a veterinarian. Drew Nickerson, 13, suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to hospital in Halifax, where he later died. “Drew, he was a little angel. He loved the outdoors, dirt bikes, cross bikes, his bicycle, anything outside,” Patricia Harris, a family friend, told CTV News Atlantic at the time. In an update Thursday, police said they have finished their investigation, which included analyzing video footage, witness and neighbour interviews and information through the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service. There were “insufficient grounds” to lay charges following the investigation, police say. “This remains a heartbreaking incident,” says Staff Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc with the Shelburne RCMP. “Our thoughts are with the youth’s loved ones and everyone in the community who’s been affected by this loss.” Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service spokesperson Melissa Noonan says decisions about whether to lay charges are ultimately made by police. “This was a tragic incident, and we recognize the profound loss experienced by the family and the community,” she said in a statement to CTV Atlantic. “Police may seek legal advice from Crown Attorneys during an investigation. Because that advice is confidential, the Public Prosecution Service cannot discuss the advice provided in a specific case or the evidence considered.” The RCMP declined an interview request from CTV Atlantic on Thursday. “As no charges are being laid in this case, we have no further information to provide,” said spokesperson Allison Gerrard. ‘His life mattered’ Dannielle Francis, a family friend, says there is a lot of disbelief and anger surrounding the news. “We don’t want to lay blame on any in particular, but as the police have stated, there was a magnitude of evidence. So, it opens us up to a much bigger question of what’s stopping this from happening again?” Francis also believes the incident could have been avoided. “There were many signs. It was a matter of time for this to happen. And the community knew it, and nothing was done to prevent it,” she says. Nickerson’s loved ones are calling for accountability and transparency. “This was a huge thing for a very tight knit community. And we need to know that our children are safe and that something will come of this in Drew’s name. His life mattered and it shouldn’t just be another closed file on a desk somewhere,” Francis says. Francis remembers the boy as the “sweetest” on the planet. “He loved everybody. He was just a light in whatever room he stood in. And he was his mother’s everything.” With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Andrea Jerrett and Vanessa Wright For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
