So here's the situation:

First of all this is all happening in Ontario

My friend's dog was attacked recently by a 6 month old boxer, which despite its age, was strong. She (the attacked dog's owner) was mildly injured as well. The boxer's owner then gave her false info most likely to avoid paying vet bills. The boxer's owner then entered a home in the area.


The vet bill totaled to over $1000 (CAD). My friend was forced to pay out of her own pocket as she had been given false contact information. She also had to be vaccinated as no one knew whether or not the boxer had its rabies vaccine or not.

She called the police, and reported the house mentioned earlier. The police questioned the homeowner, and they allegedly told them they barely know the boxer owner, and that she was just coming in to get water (not even a name was given). This is presumably a lie because its unlikely someone would let a complete stranger and their dog into their house. Also it seems suspicious that the homeowner did not give any helpful info at all, they were clearly withholding info.

The only info we currently have is the dog and the owner's descriptions.

What can we do in this situation? We are certain the homeowner is withholding information.


If the victim is unable to prove who the culprit was, then it will be impossible to prosecute that person criminally or sue them for civil damages. Incidents like these are rarely enough to cause a police department to throw sufficient investigative resources at it to crack the case without some reason to believe that it is part of something bigger.

An unfortunate fact of life is that most perpetrators of crimes and torts get away with it and are not caught. And, if the only available witness is willing to lie to cover up the name of the guilty party (probably out of a desire to not have the dog put down), it is that much harder.

A private investigator might be able to solve the case, but the cost of hiring a PI would probably exceed the benefit that could be obtained if the PI was successful.

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    In theory, would it be possible to file a "Jane Doe" lawsuit and then subpoena the homeowner to testify under oath as to whether they know the identity of the dog owner? – Nate Eldredge Jun 28 '17 at 3:55
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    @NateEldredge This would be possible in only a small minority of U.S. jurisdictions (this was one of the main criticisms of Twombly), but I don't know what the Canadian rule on this point would be. Of course, even with a subpoena, there is no assurance that the neighbor wouldn't claim "I don't know" or "I don't remember" under oath and the cost would surely be even greater than a PI. – ohwilleke Jun 29 '17 at 5:11
  • Hmm, thanks. I'm gonna have to think on this. Might be best to continue on with life. I don't know how to go about getting a subpoena but I will maybe look into it. – Liam Walsh Jun 29 '17 at 19:55

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