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This article was published on Wednesday, 19 August, 2020. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Court outcomes highlight dog owner responsibilities

In the first incident, the resident was caring for a friend’s dog when it escaped, attacking and killing a family’s pet. The person caring for the dog was found guilty in the Shepparton Magistrate’s Court of multiple charges, ordered to pay a total of $9,295.40 and the aggressive dog was ordered to be destroyed.

In the second incident, two large dogs escaped from their property through an unsecured gate. The dogs broke into a family’s backyard and attacked and severely injured a small dog while it sat on its own back porch. The family’s cat came to the rescue, jumping onto the back of one of the dogs and has potentially saved the dog’s life. The owner of the aggressive dogs was found guilty in the Shepparton Magistrate’s Court of multiple charges, ordered to pay $8,768.40 and the attacking dog was ordered to be destroyed.

Greater Shepparton City Council’s Manager Environment, Greg McKenzie, said the Court results send a clear message to dog owners, including those caring for friends’ dogs, that Council will not ignore the safety of the community and will prosecute those who fail to adhere to the Domestic Animals Act.

“Responsible dog ownership starts at home. Dog owners are required to keep their dogs confined to their properties and to register their dog each year with Council. Dogs that are left to wander the streets are at greater risk of causing an attack. Any owner or carer of a dog that attacks may find themselves before the Magistrate,” he said.

“I urge any member of the community who is involved in a dog attack to contact Council’s Animal Management team. Even during COVID-19 restrictions, Community Rangers are available 24 hours a day to respond to and investigate dog attack incidents.”

“While we understand that reporting dog attacks can be a daunting experience for some people, making a statement helps Council to protect our community from dangerous dogs. Community Rangers are here to help and assist victims and witnesses through the investigation process, offering support and guidance when required,” Mr McKenzie said.

Immediately report dog attack incidents to the Animal Management team by telephone to Council on 5832 9700.

More information on responsible pet ownership here.