Teen charged after dog stabbed, Mississauga home set on fire

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A young teenage boy has been charged for allegedly stabbing a dog and setting a Mississauga home on fire.

Peel Regional Police Const. Tyler Bell says officers were called to the area of Cawthra and Lakeshore Rd. shortly before noon on Thursday for reports of a house on fire.

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“They located an animal in the residence suffering from apparent stab wounds,” Bell said.

Crews did not find anyone in the home and no humans were injured.

“A dog was stabbed and taken to local hospital and is apparently doing okay now,” he said without confirming if the dog lived in the home.

Other media have reported the dog belonged to a neighbour.

Bell said officers located a teenage boy “in the vicinity” and “took him into custody relatively quickly.”

He said the boy is “associated with that residence.”

Bell wouldn’t confirm the age of the youth, other than saying he is under the age of 18 so he can’t be named.

Other media have reported him to be 15.

The boy faces charges under the Criminal Code with killing or injuring animals and arson causing damage to property.

Bell said the teen was held for a bail hearing.

“It’s important to remember given his age, you certainly can’t excuse this type of behaviour with the catalyst of there might be something going on emotionally or psychologically,” he said.

“But obviously we all love animals and it takes quite the imagination to get to somebody’s level who’s capable of hurting an animal,” Bell said. “So we’ve got to stop for a second and remember this person is probably not in their right state of mind and hopefully they can get the assistance that they need.”

Two investigators with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office showed up at the home around 1 p.m. on Friday and were part of an investigative team that included Mississauga Fire and Peel Regional Police checking into the origin and cause of the fire that happened in a rear room in the house.

Two plainclothes officers were seen entering the home and then exiting with what looked like a white modem box in a plastic evidence bag.

A hydro crew from Alectra showed up before 2 p.m. to cut power to the home.

A neighbour who lives on the street and knows the family that resides in the house saw the smoke on Thursday and went to investigate what was happening.

The neighbour said he didn’t believe the reddish doodle pup named Rocco had been stabbed but that the pooch did suffer some sort of injury.

He said the dog is doing well at an animal hospital and the family was expected to get it back later on Friday after returning home from the son’s court appearance.

– With files by Jack Boland

jstevenson@postmedia.com