KNIFE wounds on the body of a dog found dumped in wetlands next to a Werribee primary school has prompted a council investigation into its death.
The brindle-and-white male Staffordshire terrier, which was about 18 months old, was discovered by Wyndham Council officers near Wyndham Park Primary School on Kookaburra Avenue, Werribee on March 14.
The officers took the dog to a veterinary clinic, where it was found to have been fitted with a microchip. The person listed on the chip as the contact said they had sold the dog six months ago and were unable to provide details about its new owners.
Mayor Heather Marcus said she was disgusted by the gruesome stab wounds inflicted on the dog and urged anyone with information to come forward.
“This dog appears to have been stabbed and then dumped at some stage during the previous night. Not only is this a horrific and illegal thing to do to the animal, it also showed little to no regard for the children that would come across it on their walk to school the next day,” she said.
The council had made “exhaustive” attempts to track the dog’s owner, including calls to vet clinics and posting the dog’s description on its website, but no one had come forward with information.
Animal management team leader Elaine Bugeja said council officers had the power to prosecute people who harmed animals and to help police and RSPCA with investigations.
The incident is the third case of animal cruelty the council has investigated in the past two years. The previous two incidents led to successful prosecutions against perpetrators.
In February 2012, a Hoppers Crossing man, 72, faced court and was fined $500 for stealing a neighbour’s dog and throwing it into a dam.
Wyndham Council prosecutor Basil Stafford said the “callous” act followed a long-running dispute over a garage his neighbour had built.
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