Residents in Allan, Saskatchewan, a small town near Saskatoon, are scared to go outside because a group of aggressive dogs is roaming the streets and attacking people and pets.Mayor Bonnie Lewis is worried for the town’s safety. "I, as a mayor, am panicking. Because if this happens, a child gets bit, I am going to be absolutely furious," Lewis told 650 CKOM.The dogs have attacked at least a dozen times so far. They have hurt children, adults, and pets. The dogs come from one house in the town.The latest attack happened on August 14 when the dogs attacked a woman and her small dog near the town's swimming pool. Lewis said the woman had to get a shot to prevent tetanus and her dog was also hurt.Donna Kemp went public about her scary experience with the dogs on April 6. Kemp left her house for a walk and two big dogs ran up to her, growling and barking."The one [dog] went up and down my sleeve snarling and growling, but he didn't bite," Kemp told 650 CKOM. "They never let up. If I moved, I felt they were going to jump me."Kemp was stuck on the road for about ten minutes until two people came to help her.Kemp has a heart problem and was afraid she might have a heart attack because of the incident.The town has a rule that people can only have four dogs, but this rule doesn't stop people from having more. An animal control officer visits once a month, which is all the small town can afford.Lewis thinks the province needs to make a new law letting towns take away dangerous animals."I'm terrified myself to go out for a walk with my own dogs and all I can say is that we're doing our damnedest to try and get this solved before somebody gets hurt," Lewis told 650 CKOM.The RCMP has received six reports about these dogs since April 2024.Corina Ukrainetz, another Allan resident, started an online petition that received over 300 signatures. The petition asks for the five aggressive dogs to be removed from the town."It should not take multiple attacks to have these dogs removed from the Town of Allan," said the petition.Ukrainetz is frustrated and scared too. Ukrainetz told 650 CKOM radio that "I want the entire town to feel safe. My kids can't even go for a walk without feeling unsafe."The RCMP has not yet charged the dogs’ owner with anything. The town is trying to find a way to solve this problem and make Allan safe again for everyone.
