Owner of dog involved in Hamilton mauling being sought

Animal services in Hamilton, Ont., are working to identify the owner of a dog involved in the attack on a man who died earlier this week. (City of Hamilton)

Animal services in Hamilton, Ont., are working to identify the owner of a dog involved in the attack on a man who died earlier this week.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, didn't die as result of the attack, autopsy results showed. The cause of his death, however, has yet to be revealed.

The coroner in Hamilton told CTV Toronto on Friday the results will likely not be known for several months.

According to police, the victim and another man were walking the large dog on Burton Street in Hamilton late Wednesday night when it began to attack one of the men, who later collapsed.

The man, believed to be in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the City of Hamilton released a photo of the dog in hopes of locating its owner.

"The dog remains in quarantine and Hamilton Animal Services' priority at the moment is to determine the identity of the owner," Ann Lamanes said in an email. "We are following up on several leads."

Lamanes said a decision on whether to euthanize the Shar Pei-Fila Brasileiro mix has not been made.

"I want to emphasize that Hamilton Animal Services is not rushing a decision regarding euthanization of this dog," she said. "Until we identify the owner and receive further direction and information from the coroner on the severity of the injuries to the victim, the dog will remain in our custody."

Lamanes adds that the dog is in "fairly good shape and is in better spirits than (Thursday)."

A woman who witnessed the attack previously told CTV Toronto that her husband and another man attempted to fend off the dog with baseball bats.

"Unfortunately, the bat would only stun the dog for a few seconds and then the dog would go right back after the person," said the woman on Thursday.

The woman's neighbour said the other man, who was not attacked, was carrying the dog's leash, but the dog's collar wasn't attached to the leash when the men intervened.

The neighbour said the dog attacked the man's torso, shoulder and neck. She added that the dog only seemed interested in attacking the one person.

The dog, which weighs approximately 45 to 50 lbs, remains under the care of Animal Control.