FOG BLOG SAINT JOHN JUSTICE LOG; SAINT JOHN DOG OWNER TONES DOWN DOGS ACTIONS IN TESTIMONY IN COURT

Saint John dog owner defends his dogs and his control of them, Michael Kirby began testifying in his own defence Monday...Aside from having to shoot one of his dogs when it attacked him in his own home in 2015, Michael Kirby said he never had a concern about his dogs' temperament.

Testifying in his own defence on Monday, the 59-year-old said none of his dogs — except the one he shot and killed — showed any aggression toward people or other dogs.

His description of interactions with people in 2018 were very different from how the complainants described the incidents.

The first incident to come to the attention of Saint John police occurred in June 2018 not far from Kirby's home at the corner of Winslow and Ludlow streets.

The complainant in that case said the dogs tried to kill him and rip out his throat.

On the stand on Monday, however, Kirby said the dogs approached the man playfully, but then became "excited" when the man started trying to "shoo" them away. He said the man panicked and then fell backwards.

As a result of that incident, Kirby had to keep the dogs on his property at all times. That order was later varied to allow him to take two dogs off his property at a time, but they had to remain on leash at all times.