By Shelby Brooks
The owner of puppy allegedly attacked by a dog at Don Jackson Reserve is calling on owners to take responsibility for their aggressive canines.
Pakenham’s Kate Withers recalled feeling “shell shocked” as she watched her eight-month-old Cocker Spaniel Rudy be bitten by a bigger dog at the off leash park last week.
“The man and dog in question came in at about 6.30pm and the dog immediately made a beeline for Rudy,” Kate said.
“In an instant it had Rudy pinned to the ground and had latched onto his front leg and wasn’t letting go.
“Rudy was screaming the house down, it was so shrill and so traumatising.”
Fortunately a woman closer to the incident was able to pull the bigger dog off Rudy before any significant damage was done.
“Rudy wouldn’t get off the ground, he wouldn’t walk,” Kate said.
“I just scooped him up straight away, I just said ‘nope we’re out of here’.
“The owner of the dog did nothing, just stood there like a stunned mullet.”
After moving only a month ago to Pakenham, Kate said she and Rudy frequented the dog park every night.
She is now reluctant to Rudy back to the park.
“I think I was a bit naïve,” she said.
“Physically Rudy fine now but I’m not sure what that’s done to his little psyche. If someone hadn’t intervened, I shudder to think what could have happened.
“People take their dogs to the park in good faith, thinking the owners will do the right thing and that’s what it comes down to, it’s the onerous is on the owner, not the dog’s fault.”
Kate said it wasn’t until she was safely home with Rudy that she realised this wasn’t an isolated incident.
Fellow dog owner and Don Jackson Reserve user Jacqui Nassau had reached out to say it wasn’t the first time that dog had been accused of bad behaviour.
After witnessing Rudy’s attack, Jacqui had made a Facebook post about it on a local community page where she received messages from others stating the same dog had shown aggression before.
“It was horrifying,” Jacqui said, who was at the park the night of Wednesday 9 February with her two small dogs.
“It clearly doesn’t take much for this dog to go for the neck. This dog has gone to attack Rudy for no reason.
“I don’t know if we’ll go back. My dogs may not want to go back there. I don’t think it will feel safe for them.”
After hearing other people had reported the dog to Cardinia Shire Council before, Kate said she was baffled as to why the dog was there in the first place without a muzzle or leash.
“It’s even more infuriating to know that this has happened before and the owner seemed so blasé about the whole thing, showing no regard for any other dog or owner,” she said.
“I don’t know how in good conscious you could bring your dog, which you know to be aggressive, to a park where there are little dogs and puppies.
“Hearing that people have lodged complaints against the owner before, either nothing has been done about it or he isn’t heeding the warnings. I don’t know how you police this.“
Kate said she has lodged her own complaint with the shire about the incident and hopes something is done to protect other dogs in the future.
A spokesperson for Cardinia Shire said the council’s compliance services team was aware of an alleged dog attack at Don Jackson Reserve on 9 February and was investigating the matter.
They said any resident who witnessed the incident was encouraged to contact them on 1300 787 624.
“As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further,” they said.
“When a dog attack is reported to the council, the compliance services team will investigate the circumstances of the incident.
“In some cases, the person responsible may be prosecuted, liable to pay for medical and veterinary bills, and can also receive fines. Dogs that have been involved in attacks may also be required to comply with special conditions.”
