The trial of a 34-year-old woman charged after two people were attacked by two Akita dogs on a Didsbury-area property in July has been delayed to allow more time for the hearing.Amanda Marie Strang faces three charges under Mountain View County's animal control bylaws: two counts of allowing a dog to bite a person and one count of allowing a dog to cause damage to property. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.Each count carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 and/or six months in jail.On July 26, a 28-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, as well as their pet beagle, were returning home to their rental suite southwest of Didsbury when the Akitas, a male and female, attacked them.Both the man and the woman suffered extensive bites to their arms, torsos, hands, and thighs. The beagle received severe bite wounds.In Didsbury provincial court on Friday, Crown prosecutor Jim Hittle told Commissioner Leslie Morris the original part-day trial scheduled for Nov. 18 would not allow sufficient time to try the case.ìThe matter is going to take a significant amount of court time,î said Hittle.Morris agreed to set a special all-day trial date of Feb. 24.Outside court, Hittle said talks are underway with defence to prepare an agreed statement of facts prior to trial.The man and woman attacked by the dogs were in court Friday. They did not speak during the court session and later declined to comment. The accused did not attend Friday's court session.The two Akita dogs have already been destroyed by animal services.Strang's lawyer, Roy Shellnut, confirmed that he has been speaking to the Crown about preparing a statement of facts prior to trial.He said his client is anxious to get to trial on the matter, and that he does not expect a change in plea before the case goes to trial.Mountain View County bylaw officer Amanda Oling (formerly Stuhl) said she has spoken to the man and woman bitten in the attack and that they were hoping for the trial to proceed in November.ìI know they were hoping for it to be a little bit earlier, but February will do,î said Oling. ìI'm ready to go to trial.îSix newborn pups found in the garage have been placed in adoptive homes, she said.
