By Alesha Capone
Three dogs were surrendered to Wyndham council after one of the animals allegedly mauled a six-year-old girl at a Tarneit property on Saturday.
Channel Seven reported that the girl was mauled by a male German shepherd after she climbed out a window into her family’s backyard, where the dog was being kept.
The girl was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious condition, suffering from facial injuries.
Wyndham city operations director Stephen Thorpe said the owner of the dog had surrendered it and two other German shepherds to the council.
“Council will follow strict protocols and have the dogs assessed to determine if they should be put down,” Mr Thorpe said.
He said the dog believed to be involved in the attack was registered with the council.
According to Wyndham council’s Domestic Animal Management Plan, released last year, there were 19,366 dogs registered in Wyndham. Of those, 16 were deemed to be “dangerous”, while 11 were restricted breeds.
According to the council report, the average number of dogs impounded annually is 978, of which 85 per cent are reunited with their families.
