A GoFundMe has been started for a man who spent all his savings on a court case to prove his dog wasn’t dangerous.
The City of Nanaimo filed an application in provincial court in Nanaimo seeking to have Michael Aubie’s female German shepherd Macey declared dangerous and euthanized, according to court documents. The hearings took place on Jan. 23, March 1, April 3 and Nov. 6-8, 2019, with Aubie, a Vancouver Island University student, having to represent himself partway through court proceedings.
Ken Griffiths, a dog behavourist who worked briefly with Macey while she was impounded, told the News Bulletin he seeks to raise the $5,000 that Aubie spent during the proceedings.
“Once the city … designates your dog dangerous and seizes it, the only chance you’ve got to save your dog is to go to court,” said Griffiths. “So Mr. Aubie, being a single father with four children and in university, he didn’t have a lot of money, so it was what he had left in his life savings to spend to try and save his puppy … also, they live in a really, really small townhome with no fenced-in yard and he kind of has a bad taste in his mouth now after this with the City of Nanaimo, so they really want to try and move outside the city limits.”
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According to Judge Brian Harvey’s judgment, there were numerous instances involving Macey acting aggressively.
In a situation in November 2017, the dog grabbed and held on to a social worker’s right arm leading to bruising, but no puncturing of skin. The social worker sought no medical treatment.
In February 2018, Macey bit a dog trainer on the upper right thigh and buttocks area. The woman sustained marks on her skin and a large bruise on her thigh and received antibiotics for her wounds, according to Harvey’s ruling.
Macey also “nipped” at a boy’s arm in April 2018, according to the ruling, resulting in a “pinch wound” that didn’t break the skin. The child’s mother testified she wasn’t scared of Macey and didn’t seek medical attention for her child.
Harvey said while he heard that Macey bit or nipped three people, only one sustained any lasting injury. There was nothing to suggest Macey attacked another person outside Aubie’s residence.
In addition, Macey was impounded in August 2018, and between that time and her November release, there were no other incidents. As a result, Harvey declined to declare Macey a dangerous animal and had her returned to Aubie.
As of Saturday afternoon, $720 had been raised through the GoFundMe.
Aubie did not respond to requests for comment.
For more information, go to http://ca.gofundme.com and search for ‘help for Macey’s owner.’
