Ontario dog owner sentenced after 9-year-old girl mauled in Newmarket
Police say a Newmarket, Ont. man has pleaded guilty to all charges after his three dogs rushed out of his house and mauled a nine-year-old girl who had come to view puppies for sale.
The girl and her father were visiting the home on Jackson Court, near Davis Drive and Leslie Street, on July 27, 2023 when the three 'bulldog-type' dogs escaped their enclosure and attacked.
Police said the girl was seriously injured and transported to hospital for treatment.
Leslie Theodore Kovacs was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and three counts under the Ontario Dog Owners' Liability Act at the time.
In an update on Wednesday, police said that Kovacs pleaded guilty to all the charges and was sentenced to one year of house arrest and 15 months of probation.
Kovacs is banned from owning, keeping, harbouring, or residing in a home with a dog for life and was issued a $5,000 fine.
The dogs were euthanized after the attack, police said.
Kovacs was also found to be in violation of a previously-issued muzzle order by Newmarket Animal Services, according to police.
The animal agency told CTV News Toronto in 2023 that it had issued the muzzle order after a 'dog-on-dog' incident in September 2022. The order required the dogs to be muzzled anytime they left the property and tethered or confined by a six-foot fence when on Kovacs' property.
A spokesperson for the animal agency said at the time that it continued to monitor the situation at Jackson Court after the order was issued when it found Kovacs was 'not compliant.'
Police previously told CTV News Toronto that they had investigated at least two other animal complaints at the address, though no charges were laid at that time.
'York Regional Police and Newmarket Animal Services emphasize the importance of responsible pet ownership and the serious consequences of failing to control aggressive animals. The safety and well being of the community remain a top priority,' police said in a statement Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Crash involving West Coast Express, pickup leaves driver seriously injured
A damaged pickup truck is seen after a collision involving a West Coast Express train in Port Moody, B.C., on Aug. 12, 2025. (Port Moody Police Department) A collision involving a West Coast Express train and a pickup truck left one person seriously injured Tuesday morning. Authorities said the crash happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the Reed Point Marina crossing in Port Moody. 'Initial information suggests the driver of the vehicle failed to yield at the train crossing and was struck by the westbound train,' the Port Moody Police Department said in a news release. 'The driver was ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.' The collision halted the train for approximately one hour while first responders tended to the driver, who has since been taken to hospital. TransLink initially cancelled one West Coast Express trip departing from Mission City Station, but later reinstated it on a delay. No injuries were reported among passengers on the train, TransLink said. Authorities said the crash is being investigated by the CPKC Police Service, which has jurisdiction on and around the cross-border Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway network.
CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Manitoulin police urge caution as wildlife activity increases
Police say Manitoulin Island's wildlife is beautiful but admire it from afar. Watch for deer at dawn and dusk and don't feed animals—it's risky.
National Post
26 minutes ago
- National Post
Gregg Zaun reveals details behind Sportsnet firing for ‘inappropriate behaviour'
During his tenure as an in-studio analyst on Rogers Sportsnet for the Toronto Blue Jays, Gregg Zaun never was afraid to call it like he saw it. Article content Now, eight years after his high-profile firing from the broadcaster, Zaun isn't afraid to admit his mistakes. Article content Article content Zaun, a former Blue Jays catcher during his playing days, opened up during a podcast appearance this week about his unceremonious departure, including about the allegations made against him and how greatly they have affected him personally and professionally. Article content 'I definitely made mistakes. I let celebrity get in my head,' Zaun said during Monday's episode of the Toronto Legends podcast. 'I was never as famous in Canada as a player as I was as a broadcaster. I mean, I couldn't walk down the street. Article content 'My life was turned upside down, ruined. My professional career, ruined,' he added. 'I can't get a job in television. There's not a lot of forgiveness for people that look like me in this world. And it's my fault. It's absolutely my fault.' Article content While Zaun said that he was 'shocked' by the allegations, he also held himself accountable for letting things get too far. Article content Article content 'There are certain topics of conversation that don't belong in the workplace. And it's funny, the biggest mistake that I've made is thinking that because a lot of the conversations and exchanges were initiated by females in the workplace that they were somehow OK. That I was somehow justified in participating in those conversations. The tomfoolery, the hijinks. These allegations, they were shocking to me,' Zaun said. Article content 'I was just having fun with willing participants. Yeah, the environment was inappropriate. It was my fault for letting it get as far as it did. I should have been classier and I definitely should be held to a higher level of accountability,' he added. Article content Article content Several anonymous Sportsnet employees previously told the Canadian Press that Zaun had made sexual comments 'with the clear intention of making us uncomfortable.' Article content During the podcast interview, Zaun said that the network pushed him to become a 'Manalyst,' which he described as the 'Don Cherry of baseball.' Article content 'Sportsnet created that 'Manalyst' guy. They wanted 'Don Cherry of baseball,' so I gave it to them,' Zaun said. Article content But Zaun says he's capable of more than that sort of role. Article content 'People misunderstand or underestimate my versatility. I can be whatever you want me to be. You want me to be the loud guy. You want me to cause a ruckus. You want me to polarize the fan base. I can do that,' Zaun said. Article content 'Do you want me to just be quiet and go put my head down and be a soldier, and accomplish a list of tasks that you want from me? I can do that too. It's just easier to blame my past transgressions, my past mistakes, as the reason why you don't want to have a conversation.' Article content
