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Thursday May 24, 2012

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Pet dog dies and owner mauled

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 25 October, 2011 - 8:33 AM
staffie

UPDATE: Three dogs that attacked and killed a pet in Melbourne's north will be put down.

Three pit bulls have been seized by the council after the animals broke through a fence in McCrae Street Reservoir and mauled an 18-month old Staffie to death.

The staffie's owner claims he had previously complained about the roaming dogs before they attacked his pet.

Darebin mayor Diana Asmar says they're taking the attack seriously.

Image not of actual dog.

EARLIER: The owner of a dog that was mauled to death by a neighbour’s pitbull claims he has previously asked the dog’s owner to secure the animal before the vicious attack in Melbourne’s outer north yesterday.

Joe was forced to punch the pitbull in the neck when it latched onto his shoulder during the savaging in his backyard in McCrae Street, Reservoir about 4pm yesterday.

The pitbull was one of three dogs, all believed to pitbulls, that escaped from a neighbour’s backyard by digging under the adjoining fence about 4pm.

Joe said the escaped dogs then destroyed his fence posts and gained access to his yard, where one of the animals, a white pitbull, savagely attacked his dog Duke, an 18-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier.

Joe is convinced his second dog Zoe, a small Staffy, would have been the next victim if he didn’t intervene.

‘‘These dogs kept on pulling the fence posts off the fence with their teeth and I kept putting up new planks and making it safe, and I’ve told the owners a couple of times to please do something about his dogs, put up a barrier or something,’’ Joe told radio 3AW.

Joe said the dogs had regularly broken out of their yard in the past four months, and he had complained to Darebin City Council on one occasion.

Despite his dog’s death, Joe said he was not opposed to pitbulls.

‘‘Pittys [pitbulls] aren’t bad dogs. I’ll tell you now, they must be contained, it’s that simple,’’ he said.

Joe said he arrived home yesterday afternoon and found Duke severely injured, lying next to the garage.

‘‘As I touched my dog, this dog [the pitbull] sort of pounced my arm ... tried to grab my right shoulder and then lucky I threw a punch at him on his throat and the dog just ran off luckily,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m angry mate, angry. I just want justice, legally.’’

A Darebin City Council spokeswoman said the three dogs had been seized last night.

The attack comes less than a month after the end of an amnesty period for owners to register dangerous dog breeds in Victoria.

The state government introduced the amnesty after the death of four-year-old Ayen Chol, who was killed by a neighbour’s pitbull mastiff after it ran into the girl’s St Albans house in August.

- Megan Levy, The Age Online

PLAY: The mauled man speaks to Neil Mitchell

PLAY: Eddie Boscariol, Manager of Economic Development and Employment (and dogs, apparently) at the Daredin City Council, speaks to Neil Mitchell

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Blog comments Your Say

  • Seeing how there were complaints about these dogs made already to the council, why has nothing been done about it?
    The victim should also sue the council for not doing their job as well as sue the owner of the dogs.

    Peggy Wednesday 21 December, 2011 - 11:23 AM

  • Three more gone, hope it does not take too long to round them all up and put them all down.

    Ian Wednesday 21 December, 2011 - 11:02 AM

  • my brother in law always walks his two robust looking dogs (on leads) at the beach. A lady reported him for having two dangerous pit bulls. He was visited by the ranger, produced papers as to the dogs breeds and the dogs were assessed as being friendly and of no threat to man nor beast. Shortly thereafter the council ranger rang to say this same woman had attacked another man and his dog, with a knife, whilst they walked on the beach and that he should take care. Why was that story not all over the media?

    maggie Wednesday 21 December, 2011 - 9:22 AM

  • Joe, my heart goes out to you for your loss. I have an American Staffie, they are strong looking dogs, are mistaken for pit bulls and are the best pets to love. This BS legislation is internationally embarrassing that the Victorian Government are enforcing this though. Humans through lack of love which a dog needs (pack instinct) and cruelty (beating, isolation, no walks, etc) are to blame. The owners of these dogs should be locked up, vicious dogs are mostly victims of our breed, the human breed. The guidelines identifying pit bull are vague and can be applied to many breeds including American Staffies. Any dog mistreated and trained wrongly will loyally do the wrong thing. NOW it is too dangerous to walk my registered dog due to public hysteria that is building presently. I can't stress strongly enough that this legislation has to change. We should be following Canada's successful example not the Irish model (Belfast) which is nearly a copy and paste when compared to Victorian legislation. Canada have statistics over the past 5 years with reduced dog attacks without any breed specific legislation. Canada improved public safety with education of dog owners regarding training & management, public education about the honest facts about dogs, owner accountability for mistreatment of pets. Why can't Victorian politics admit this legislation is wrong and stop media frenzy and much sadness as people have to say goodbye to their pet K9 because of looks and lack of paperwork?

    kirsten Friday 28 October, 2011 - 12:23 AM

  • Dear Joe i share your grief in your loss of a beloved pet in such tragic circumstances. I hope the owners are dealt with in accordance to the new law. Once again the innocent suffer in the stupidity of others.

    Mrs Lockwood Tuesday 25 October, 2011 - 6:57 PM

  • Real pit bulls do have a strong dog aggressive component to their make up but this must not be confused with human aggression 2 very different traits pure bred pit bulls are a danger to other animals if not socialized correctly but they are much less likely to attack a human than a german sheperd or rottwieller which have been purpose bred for guarding , the dog involved in the killing of the toddler in st albans was a bullmastiff cross a very large guarding breed not a pit bull. American Staffordshire Terriers like the one that was killed by the pitbulls are a lovely dog which are neither dog aggressive nor are they a guard breed they were used as a farm dog and a child minding dog in america for the last 100 years.

    Joe Godolley Tuesday 25 October, 2011 - 6:35 PM

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