Charges have been laid against two men after two guard dogs escaped a Scarborough business earlier this week and attacked a mother and daughter.
The attack, which was captured in part on video obtained by CTV News Toronto, occurred on Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. outside of an apartment building near Midland Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East.
The video shows two large dogs circling a small child aggressively. Then, one of the dogs is seen biting the child, who appears to be on the ground.
As the attack continues for several seconds, onlookers can be seen intervening and eventually scaring the dog away.
In a news release issued Saturday, investigators said the child – who is believed to be six years old—was walking with her mother prior to the incident, who they said was also attacked.
Both victims were transported to hospital for medical attention. While the extent of their injuries was not disclosed by police, family members told CTV News Toronto on Thursday that the girl needed as many as 20 stitches.
It’s unclear if the mother and daughter are still in hospital at this time.
According to police, the two guard dogs had escaped a nearby business prior to Wednesday’s attack.
Police told CTV News Toronto earlier this week that a decision on whether the dogs will be returned to their owners or euthanized will be decided by Toronto Animal Services following an investigation.
Two men were arrested on Thursday in connection with the incident.
Toronto residents Noor Ashaqzai, 39, and Abdulrahman Zmarai, 51 are both charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Aug. 8.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 416-808-4100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.
