Woman whose dog attacked child in Toronto sentenced to a year in jail

TORONTO — A Toronto woman who took a dangerous dog to a playground where it mauled a nine-year-old child last year was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail and barred from owning a dog for 10 years.

Patrycja Siarek must also serve three years of probation with restrictions, including that she not live with or have care of a dog, and pay a $250 fine within two years.

Factoring in credit for the time already spent in custody, Siarek is set to serve 340 days behind bars.

An Ontario judge handed down the sentence Tuesday, saying only a period of imprisonment could address the seriousness of the offence and Siarek’s degree of responsibility.

“The offence here was, in my view, extremely grave,” Ontario Court Justice Miriam Bloomenfeld said. “The nature of the conduct and the profound and indelible harm that it caused must be addressed with a commensurate sentence.”

Siarek had pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing bodily harm, as well as failing to prevent a dog from biting a person, which is an infraction under the provincial Dog Owners’ Liability Act.

Three years before the March 2024 attack, Siarek had received a dangerous dog order due to biting incidents, court heard. The order required her to keep the dog muzzled in public and refrain from taking it to any off-leash areas, court heard.

That day, however, she took the dog to a fenced-in playground that was off-limits to dogs and removed its leash and muzzle so it could play with a ball, the judge said.

Soon after, a man and his son arrived at the playground, and as the boy got to the gate, the dog charged from across the playground, pushing through the open metal gate and latching on to the child’s leg, the judge said.

Both the boy’s father and Siarek unsuccessfully tried to pry the dog away, court heard. The attack came to an end when the dog switched its hold to the child’s pants, which then ripped.

Siarek and her dog took off, and the child was taken to hospital to undergo surgery, court heard. Since no information on the dog was available, the child — whose identity is protected by a publication ban — also received a tetanus shot and rabies vaccinations, it heard.

Police later tracked down Siarek with information from a witness, and her three dogs, including the one who attacked the child, were seized, the judge said. A spokesperson for the city previously confirmed the dog involved in the attack was euthanized last year, while Siarek’s other dogs were rehomed.

“The victim suffered a devastating wound to his left rear thigh that required multiple surgeries and hospital stays along with a lengthy period of treatment and recovery that kept him away from school and entirely disrupted his life and that of his family,” Bloomenfeld said.

The judge said she believes Siarek’s remorse is “genuine and profound,” and noted the woman has since worked hard to address her substance abuse and “appears to have gained insight into the connection between her mental health struggles and her criminal conduct.”

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of three years behind bars as well as a $250 fine, while the defence argued Siarek should receive a conditional sentence to be served in the community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2025.

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press