Milo's Law: N.B. woman wants legislation after dog attacked, killed

Donna King is still reeling from the loss of a loved one. Her two-year-old miniature pinscher named Milo was attacked and killed by another dog on Aug. 20 at a campground not far from Oromocto, N.B.

While clutching her other dog Buddy in her arms, King recalled the events of that evening to CTV News from her dining table at her Salisbury home.

King said a pit bull jumped out the window of a parked truck while she and Milo were on a walk at the Mohawk Campground in Waterborough.

"Milo screamed and ran behind me. I tried to catch him, but I couldn't,” she said. “The pit bull got him in his jaws and a man came running and he grabbed Milo by the harness and he tried to get Milo out of the dog’s mouth, but he couldn't get him out.”

Another man came to help Milo and punched the large dog in the mouth, according to King, but to no avail.

A woman then tried to resuscitate the tiny dog, but it was too late.

King gave a statement to RCMP members that night, but hasn’t heard anything from them since.

She says the incident has traumatized both her and her husband.

"I don't sleep. I wake up and the first thing I see is Milo in that dog's mouth. We just can't function right now, we're not functioning very well.”

Now, King is hoping for change.

She's reached out to local and provincial politicians because she wants a law passed -- Milo's Law -- that would see aggressive dogs forced to wear a muzzle when out in public.

"If it had a muzzle on, it wouldn't have been able to kill Milo," she said. "It might have hurt him, but it wouldn't have been able to kill him."

The People for Animal Wellbeing (PAW), the organization formerly known as the Greater Moncton SPCA, says they do not feel that breed specific legislation is the answer.

Todd Merrill, a spokesperson for PAW, says they support responsible pet ownership and encourage local municipalities to adopt comprehensive breed-neutral dangerous dog/irresponsible owner laws.

"Owners should reach out to qualified trainers/behaviourists if they are having difficulty with their pet," added Merrill.

The Kings have had no contact with the owners of the pit bull.

CTV News has reached out to the Oromocto detachment of the RCMP for more details.