Dog owner guilty in boy's fatal mauling

An Edmonton woman has been found guilty of criminal negligence causing death after her two large dogs killed an 11-year-old boy visiting from British Columbia.

Crystal MacDonald owned the Cane Corso dogs that fatally attacked Kache Grist at her home in south Edmonton's Summerside neighbourhood on April 1, 2024. Kache was visiting his father for spring break when the attack happened. His father, Wesley Grist, was working in the garage at the time.

Court heard that MacDonald and Grist were roommates. MacDonald testified she had repeatedly warned Grist not to leave his son alone with the dogs and said she'd planned to enroll them in specialized training. The unneutered dogs, weighing 110 and 125 pounds, had a documented history of aggression — they'd injured two people and killed a cat and a Pomeranian before the attack.

Justice Eric Macklin noted that MacDonald was evasive and defensive in her testimony. He found she could have done more to protect the boy in her home and had been cavalier in blaming others for the dogs' behaviour.

The verdict closes a difficult chapter for Edmonton's legal system and Kache's family, though it underscores ongoing questions about pet ownership, landlord liability, and how households with dangerous animals are managed.