SA designer warns dog owners after her puppy was assaulted at North Adelaide

An SA designer has warned fellow dog owners of a man who kicked her puppy multiple times at a North Adelaide dog park over the weekend.

A prominent local designer has warned other dog owners of a violent man who assaulted her dog in what she described as a “terrifying” attack at North Adelaide.

Cristina Tridente, who is the founder of fashion house couture+love+madness on the Parade at Norwood, took to social media after a man kicked her dog multiple times at the dog park on Saturday.

Ms Tridente said she attends the Robe Tce park every day with her seven-month-old golden retriever Hercules.

“We often swap between the big and small park depending on the nature of the dogs in each park at that time,” she said.

Hercules the golden retriever was assaulted at a North Adelaide dog park. Picture: Instagram

“I often find in the ‘big’ dog park he (Hercules) is quite scared as the older dogs can sometimes be a bit more rough and he hides behind me.”

About 4pm Saturday, Hercules was playing in the park with a smaller dog and became scared, so he backed away near the other dog’s owner.

“The owner starting kicking him with force, in the ribs. He did this twice while I ran over and when I questioned him he grabbed Hercy by the collar and would not release him,” Ms Tridente said.

Ms Tridente said she called police to report the incident. Picture: Instagram

She began screaming to cause a scene, but the other owner would not free Hercules.

“I had to wrestle the grip off him to set Hercy free. He kept screaming at me that it was ‘people like me who cause dogs to get injured because of his size’,” she said.

“It was honestly terrifying. I couldn’t not release him from his grip and seeing him kicked in the guts was horrifying.”

Ms Tridente left the park and warned other owners in the park of what had happened and to be careful.

“Just a warning to keep our dogs safe. I’m glad there were so many lovely other owners that came to see if I was OK,” she said.

She described the man as being aged in his 50s, with a slim build, short dark brown hair, wearing blue jeans, “flashy” sunglasses with a solid medium size brown dog.

Speaking exclusively to The Advertiser Ms Tridente described the incident as “traumatic”.

“It was a pretty scary incident – to not only see someone kicking your dog, but for them to have such a firm grip on him and not let go even after I asked him to multiple times,” she said.

“I just want other owners to be aware. I go there almost every day, it’s a lovely area and there always lots of lovely people – and dogs – and I just really wouldn’t have expected such an incident to occur there. It was traumatic.”

SA Police have been contacted for comment.