Dog attack leads to 10-year ban

By Alesha Capone

By Alesha Capone

A Wyndham Vale man has been banned from owning a dog for 10 years, after his three American Staffordshire terriers killed another dog in an attack earlier this year.

The man had left his dogs in the care of his daughter, who was walking them in a Manor Lakes park located at the corner of Manor Lakes and Dalrymple boulevards on May 12, when they attacked a border collie.

The man’s daughter and the border collie’s owner were unable to overpower the Staffordshire terriers.

The eight-month-old border collie died as a result of the attack.

The Magistrates Court banned the man from owning a dog for 10 years and issued the man and his daughter with fines totalling $7220.25.

Wyndham environment and sustainability portfolio holder Heather Marcus said the council seized the three terriers after the attack.

The council’s bid to put the dogs down is being appealed by the dogs’ owner.

The matter will be subject to an independent review, in accordance with the council’s Guidelines to Destruction of Dogs Policy.

The dogs will remain in the council’s custody until a decision is made.

Cr Marcus said the dogs’ owner had previously been issued with minor infringements and “had been warned about keeping his dogs under control”.

“Following the attack, council … charged both their owner and his daughter with six counts of owning a dog which attacks and bites resulting in the death of an animal,” Cr Marcus said.

“This attack was extremely vicious and has rightly resulted in an extensive ban.”