Governments MUST ACT but they don't.
Not one person has been jailed.

What kind of people have vicious dogs?

Governments MUST ACT

What kind of people have vicious dogs?
When will councils and our state government
take responsibility and protect the community?

What kind of people have vicious dogs?
When will councils and our state government
take responsibility and protect the community?

Despite a doubling in hospital admissions to treat serious dog attack wounds over the past decade, the number of owners charged by police has fallen dramatically, with just 84 charges laid by police in 2011-12, compared with 233 in 2002-03.

More than half of the 1540 charges laid in the decade to June 30 last year were for attacks on people, mostly by dogs already known to be dangerous.

The toll includes at least 367 attacks on people - 239 by dogs already deemed dangerous.

In at least 218 of those cases, the dog owner permitted their dogs to attack and in 98 cases, owners were charged with wilfully urging their dog to attack.

In the past month, councils have reported hundreds of dog attacks and many have announced new plans to promote responsible pet ownership.

Last year, the Yarra Ranges recorded 235 reported dog attacks. Wyndham recorded 171 dog attacks, 69 on humans and 102 on other dogs, with just three in off-lead areas.

City of Moreland recorded 103 attacks - 27 in Glenroy, 15 in Brunswick and 13 in Coburg North - with five owners prosecuted and three dogs destroyed.

Councils and police have the power to seize dangerous dogs on the loose and have them destroyed.

But how many dog owners have been jailed over vicious dog attacks in NSW? No one jailed under the Companion Animals Act in five years. Not one.

peter.mickelburough@news.com.au

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Deeon's tragedy: family mourns toddler killed by cousin's dog

Date August 5, 2013 - 3:05PM

Leesha McKenny
Urban Affairs Reporter

"We have lost a gorgeous little boy who we all loved so much."

The Higgins family, from the Riverina town of Deniliquin, were in mourning on Monday after two-year-old Deeon was fatally mauled by his cousin's mastiff cross on Sunday.

It is believed the toddler was at his grandmother's house in the state's south-west and had gone outside to get an ice-cream from a freezer when the attack began about 2.30pm.

Deeon's grandmother, Joyce, tried to save the toddler, who turned two in December, but the animal is understood to have followed them into the Victoria Street house where the attack continued. For 15 horrifying minutes, Joyce tried to prise Kingston off her grandson's head until she collapsed from exhaustion.

It was at this point that Deeon's mother, Vicki, arrived at the house and managed to fight the dog off.

"She's just arrived midway through and found this happening," a police spokeswoman said.

Deeon suffered critical injuries to his head and face and was taken to Deniliquin Hospital, where he later died.

His 70-year-old grandmother was also taken to hospital, where she was treated for exhaustion, bruising and abrasions.

A family spokesman said the incident had left them devastated.

“We would like to thank all friends and relatives for their thoughts and kind words, and everyone in our community in Deniliquin for their support over the past 24 hours," he said, asking that the family's privacy be respected.

“We are a close family and we will work through this together."

"There will be no further comment from the family and we ask that this be respected.”

Tributes have flooded social media as word spread through the small community of about 7500 people.

"Very sad day it has not only affected the family involved but also the town's people everybody's heart's are breaking for those in the family rest in peace little man," Kim Godfrey wrote on Facebook.

"Sending my condolences to Vicki & family," wrote Rebecca Steer. "Such a precious little life taken way too soon. Thinking of everyone involved and all Deni community."

Council rangers seized the dog, which was owned by Deeon's 24-year-old cousin who lived at the house. It was destroyed overnight.

Deniliquin mayor Lindsay Renwick said the dog was registered and had not shown any signs of any violence before the attack.

"It's a tragedy, it's something that always frightens me with dogs."

Council general manager Des Bliske said even if the dog had been registered as a dangerous breed, the boy could still have been attacked, because council guidelines are mostly concerned with how dangerous breeds should be handled and restrained in public.

Dangerous dogs must be muzzled when they are outside their owner's property. The property must also have sufficient "containment measures", Mr Bliske said.

Mr Bliske said the brutality of the mauling was unusual. "We've probably had three or four [attacks] over the last 12 months, not all of them involving people.

"People that own dogs generally control them and keep them very well contained."

Detective Inspector Darren Cloak, of Deniliquin police, said the boy's family as well as residents of the Riverina town were "shocked" and "distraught".

"The community will be saddened by this, it's a tragic set of circumstances," he said.

Police are still investigating the attack but it is unlikely charges will be laid against the owner.

"The dog is a family pet, but obviously the matter will be put before the Coroner."

AAP

In a post on social media on Tuesday, Mr Higgins, 24, said he was deeply sorry for what happened.

"You both are up there, I know you both are! King[ston] everyone makes mistakes, and I'm sorry. I just can't accept this. Ohh mans please forgive me," he posted.

He said life throws "some curve balls" and unfortunately Deeon was "on the receiving end" of one.

His posts attracted hundreds of comments of support from Deniliquin's residents.

"This will be a long road but the whole town is walking beside you," posted Alex Lumbar.

Denial?

"No one would have ever thought it could happen like it did... its no ones fault just one of those freak accidents," posted Terri Dashwood.

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Girl clung to mum's leg as dog attacked...

A four-year-old girl was clinging to her mother's leg as she was pulled away and mauled to death by a pit bull mastiff dog which ran into their house.

"Jaclin and the rest of the kids were inside sitting in the lounge room watching TV, the kids were playing," another relative, Daniel Atem, said at the scene on Thursday.

He said the dog then attacked Ms Mayout's five-year-old daughter Nyadeng Goaer and Ms Appok tried to intervene.

"Jaclin went to rescue them, the first one, which is the five-year-old and then her daughter was clutching her mum's legs and the dog turned to Ayen.

"He (the dog) pulled the child from the mum ... after the daughter died, the dog left the child and the neighbour, the owner of the dog came after that and took out the dog."

Ms Appok, a mother of three, was too distressed to talk about the incident on Thursday, but described her daughter as "a very artistic girl, she loved to draw and she talked a lot".

Police remain at the scene of a horrific dog attack that left a four-year-old girl dead and two relatives, including a five-year-old, seriously injured in Melbourne's west last night. The dog, which police said was part pit bull terrier, ran inside a neighbour's house about 8pm in Lahy Street, St Albans, and savaged the girls and a 31-year-old woman.

The child was pronounced dead at the scene despite ambulance officers efforts to revive her. The five-year-old had facial injuries and the woman received severe lacerations to her arms and hands. Both were taken by ambulance to Sunshine Hospital, where they were each in a stable condition today.

Paramedics arrived at the house within seven minutes of an emergency call to find what team manager Brett Parker described as a very chaotic scene. ‘‘A four-year-old girl was in the house and had suffered extensive injuries,’’ Mr Parker said. ‘‘Paramedics tried to resuscitate the girl but, unfortunately, she died at the scene.’’

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Man’s arm stripped to the bone by two dogs in vicious attack

A MAN is recovering in Gold Coast Hospital after being savaged by two mastiff-cross dogs in what the council says may be the worst known attack in Byron Shire's history.

The council's governance manager Ralph James said in a "terrifying experience" last Wednesday, the man's right elbow was "de-gloved" - the skin was torn away from flesh and bone - and he had puncture wounds to the right hand and upper left leg after he was attacked by the dogs while walking along the road at Billinudgel.

He will require extensive surgery.

The court attendance notices relate to the attack, the owners not fencing the property to stop the dogs from escaping, and to the fact that neither of the dogs was registered with council nor microchipped.

"The tragedy is that this was an incident that could have been avoided. Unfortunately the property where the dogs were housed was not fenced, nor were the dogs restricted, such as being tied up," Mr James said.

There had been no previous reports about the two dogs to council or police despite an incident six days earlier involving the victim's wife who was reportedly rushed by the pets, he said. - PETS? VICIOUS DOGS?

"She'd been walking past the property and the dogs bailed her up. "She ran and they chased her but they backed off when they saw her husband - the victim.

"This certainly rates as one of the worst attacks in the shire... and a strong reminder to all dog owners to be responsible pet owners."

How many dog owners have been jailed over vicious dog attacks in NSW? No one jailed under the Companion Animals Act in five years. Not one.

"THE owner of two dogs which savaged a man at Billinudgel in January has been fined $750 for each dog. The victim's right elbow was de-gloved and he sustained puncture wounds to the right hand and upper left leg after he was attacked while walking along the road at Billinudgel about 8am on January 10. He required hospitalisation and extensive surgery."

Few hundred dollar fines for vicious, life threatening dog attacks? More than 90 per cent of 1158 people convicted under the Act from 2008 to 2012 walked away with fines. Surely the whole point of dangerous-dog laws is to prevent attacks from occurring in the first place. Yet even after attacks have taken place the owners of these beasts have gone effectively unpunished. When will our government act?

the TELEGRAPH

What kind of people have vicious dogs?
When will councils and our state government
accept responsibility and protect the community?

Dog owner fined four months before jogger attacked

BREAKING NEWS REPORTER

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/dog-owner-fined-four-months-before-jogger-attacked-20130527-2n6p8.html#ixzz2b55wfvip

JOGGER MAULED BY DOGS

Three American Bulldogs that almost mauled a jogger to death in Sydney's south-west have been euthanased. 

The dogs, which attacked a man as he was jogging in Ashcroft on Sunday, "were voluntarily surrendered for destruction by the owner," Liverpool council said in a statement. "The dogs were euthanised today at council’s pound facility."

The council said the dogs' owner was fined in January for not registering them. 

A 49-year-old man was undergoing surgery at Liverpool Hospital on Monday after suffering chest injuries so severe that paramedics could see his heart through his wound when they arrived in Maxwells Avenue in Ashcroft on Sunday.

The man had been out for an afternoon jog about 2pm when he was set upon by the three dogs, which are believed to have escaped from a nearby home through a hole in a fence.

The dogs pulled the jogger to the ground and mauled him for about five minutes, chewing through his chest and upper body as neighbours who heard the man's screams for help tried desperately to save him.

Detective Superintendent Jim Johnson said the owner was extremely upset and shocked when he went to the police station on Monday.

Superintendent Johnson said the owner may be charged with keeping a savage dog, which attracts a fine of up to $5500.

‘‘If a child or young person had been attacked, I have no doubt whatever that that child would have suffered fatal injuries,’’ he said.

There was much confusion about the breed of dogs involved.

Witnesses had described the dogs as pit bulls, but Farooq Portelli, Liverpool City Council's general manager, initially said the dogs had been identified as American Staffordshire Terriers.

He later issued a statement saying the dogs had been identified under the Companion Animals Register as American Bulldogs.

The dogs - two males, and one female - had been seized and were being held at the council's animal shelter. Police had called for the dogs to be destroyed.

Mr Portelli said the dogs were microchipped, but were not registered to the owner.

"Council followed up this matter and subsequently issued the owner with three fines (three dogs) on January 10, 2013, in relation to the unregistered dogs," Mr Portelli said.

"The police are heading the investigation and council will be holding the dogs on their behalf pending the outcome of their investigation.”

Chris Thompson, 40, was at his home on Maxwells Avenue, near the intersection with Cartwright Avenue, when he heard a man screaming for help.

He and his friend raced out to the footpath to find three dogs attacking the jogger, who was bleeding heavily from deep gashes to his arm, armpit and chest.

"I heard a bloke screaming out for mercy," Mr Thompson told Sky News.

"I come running out to my backyard and just seen these three pit bulls just had this bloke, virtually chewing him to pieces."

Mr Thompson grabbed a pot plant and attacked one dog, while the other man grabbed a pipe and a hammer to try to beat the dogs down.

"[I] just grabbed a pot plant and just cracked it over the dog's head," Mr Thompson said. However he said the dog didn't let go of the jogger.

The animals then turned on Mr Thompson's friend who was attempting to save the jogger.

"[He] went to grab one of the dogs and it's got his hand and pulled him down to the ground," Mr Thompson said.

It is understood that paramedics arrived to find the dogs had nearly punctured the jogger's heart. The animals had chewed through the man's chest and his upper body to the extent that paramedics had to administer intravenous drugs through his foot.

Paramedic John Brotherhood said the jogger had suffered some of the worst injuries he had seen in his 27 years as a paramedic.

"It's a very brave act by those two men to help the other fellow," he said.

The jogger was taken to Liverpool Hospital and was due to undergo surgery on Monday. He is expected to remain in hospital for some time.

Police said the second man who was injured in the savage assault was "a hero".

"He has come and assisted this bloke, he was being really savagely attacked," a police spokesman said.

A passing bus also is believed to have pulled up and passengers got off in a bid to help the jogger.

One witness told Channel Nine that he saw one of the victims covered in blood.

"The bloke walked down, he was covered in blood on the left arm and the right arm," the unidentified man said.

"I don't know what sparked them off but they were just turning on everybody. Anyone coming down, they went for them."

A council ranger later arrived at a nearby house and was seen dragging the dogs out to a van.

Police said in a statement that they would be "making an application for the dogs to be destroyed".

The NSW opposition has called for a full investigation into Sunday's attack.

Opposition local government spokeswoman Sophie Cotsis said the dogs should be put down and called for tougher laws, including stricter reporting requirements for owners of dangerous animals.

The owner of the dogs involved in Sunday's attack could face penalties ranging from a fine to two years in jail.

How many dog owners have been jailed over vicious dog attacks in NSW? No one jailed under the Companion Animals Act in five years. No one.

with AAP

What kind of people have vicious dogs?
When will councils and our state government
accept responsibility and protect the community?

More than 90 per cent of 1158 people convicted under the Act from 2008 to 2012 walked away with fines.

The courts are largely hamstrung by toothless laws that prohibit magistrates handing out jail sentences for most offenders. Under the Act only owners of dogs already declared dangerous by council rangers can be sent to prison and even then the maximum sentence is two years.

The Daily Telegraph

EDITORIAL - PROTECT OUR KIDS FROM KILLER DOGS

What, after all, is the point of making murder illegal if nobody goes to jail for it? Would anyone even suggest something so absurd?

And yet again we find ourselves mourning the death of a child, while asking how this was able to happen. Surely the whole point of dangerous-dog laws is to prevent attacks from occurring in the first place. Yet, as today's Daily Telegraph reveals, even after attacks have taken place the owners of these beasts have gone effectively unpunished.

The fact that in the past five years not a single dangerous-dog owner has been jailed in the wake of an attack - including one who deliberately set his dog on a victim - defies belief, let alone commonsense. Yet again we find that what seems ludicrous to the common observer is apparently ingenious to the politicians and judges who draft and apply the law.

Could it be that the judgment of our most wise and august leaders has been clouded simply because in this case one of the parties has fur and a wagging tail?

It is difficult to imagine what other impediment could be standing in the way of banning pit bulls altogether, once and for all.

It is a dog bred to attack, and that means that where small children and the wrong set of circumstances are involved they are effectively born to kill.

Indeed, it's hard to imagine why any responsible citizen would want to own one - but as long as they are not held accountable what's to dissuade them? Why can't the government who is supposed to be protecting us see that?

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Trio seriously injured after being attacked by pack of dogs in Newcastle

October 17, 2015 - 9:52PM

A woman, her husband and a neighbour were left with serious injuries after they were savaged by a pack of dogs in front of a Newcastle house on Saturday morning.

The woman, 52, was standing in front of her house on Gwydir Street in New Lambton about 10.30am when she was attacked by two of four dogs that are believed to have escaped from a nearby house, police said.

Her husband, 53, ran to help her and was bitten on the leg by one of the dogs. The pair's 60-year-old male neighbour, who also ran to help the woman, was mauled by three of the dogs and left seriously injured.

The vicious attack lasted for several minutes. It's not known whether the dogs were successfully forced off the victims or whether they let go and ran off.

After police and emergency services were called, all three were taken by ambulance to John Hunter Hospital with puncture wounds to their arms and legs.

The woman's husband was released on Saturday afternoon, but the woman and her neighbour remained at the hospital on Saturday evening in a stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Inspector Michael Gorman said it was lucky the animals didn't manage to get the neighbour to the ground.

"The lady had a fairly significant laceration to her forearm, which will most likely require surgery, and the 60-year-old male had a significant injury to his left upper arm which requires surgery," Inspector Gorman said

What kind of people have vicious dogs?
When will our state government
take responsibility and protect the community?