Girl, 3, mauled by dog at Yatala on Gold Coast
Gold Coast City Council has confirmed it had received several complaints about dogs at the Yatala property where a young girl was savagely mauled on Wednesday night, with one person saying they were notoriously aggressive.
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Gold Coast City Council has confirmed it had received several complaints about dogs at the Yatala property where a young girl was savagely mauled on Wednesday night.
The three-year-old remains in a stable condition in hospital after suffering wounds to her head and neck in the attack.
Neighbours and nearby residents have told media the dogs were the subject of complaints to council, claims confirmed by a council spokesperson who said animal management officers had visited the property on multiple occasions.
Some reportedly complained about the animals just weeks before the tragedy and others said the dogs on the property were notoriously aggressive.
Multiple dogs were seized from the property by Gold Coast City Council animal management officers on Wednesday night.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said council officers “patrolled the area regularly with a view to ensuring compliance with local laws.”
They said it was inappropriate to make further comment as the matter was under investigation by both the council and the police.
She remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Richard Macdonald told The Courier-Mail his own dog was scared to go anywhere near the place.
“Our dog has now got anxiety,” he told media.
“He is terrified of them.
“They rush up at the fence, they’re very, very aggressive and if they got out you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
On Thursday morning family friend Kurt Poole turned up at the property and said the toddler’s grandmother was “beside herself” over the incident.
“As anyone would be in this position,” he said.
He also said he understood the young girl had been injured accidentally as the dogs play fought among themselves.
Some neighbours of the sprawling Yatala property told the ABC that several German Shepherd dogs which lived at the property “were scary” and had already been the subject of complaints from nearby residents, while other neighbours described the dogs as ‘good’ and ‘happy’.
The home is owned by the young girl’s grandmother and it is understood the three-year-old and her mother recently relocated to the Gold Coast from Victoria.
Two other dog attacks were reported in Queensland overnight.
A pre-teen boy sustained a head injury after a dog bite incident at a private residence in Shailer Park, south of Brisbane, at 8.40pm on Wednesday.
The boy was taken to Logan Hospital in a stable condition where he is still recovering.
Paramedics were also called to a dog bite incident where a woman in her 30s sustained multiple puncture wounds to her legs at a private residence in Kelso in Townsville.
The incident occurred just before 8pm, with the woman taken to Townsville Hospital in a stable condition.
WHAT HAPPENED: DOG ATTACK ON THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL
The three-year-old girl was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital on Wednesday night in a serious condition, with life threatening injuries following the vicious attack.
Emergency crews rushed to the Paterson Rd, Yatala home about 5.20pm, confronted with the third dog attack in South East Queensland this week.
Queensland Ambulance Service said: “Concerningly, another young child has sustained significant injuries from dog bites.
“Multiple paramedic units were called to a private address in Yatala at 5.20pm and transported a child to Queensland Children’s Hospital in a serious condition with head and neck injuries.”
A spokesperson for Gold Coast City Council confirmed multiple dogs had been seized by animal management officers and an investigation was underway.
Four dogs including three German Shepherds and a French Bull Mastiff were taken from the home about 7.30pm and could be heard crying from inside two council utility vehicles.
It is understood the owner of the property was a registered dog breeder and the young girl’s grandmother.
The 3-year-old and her mother began living at the property after moving from Melbourne three months ago.
It is understood the mother was also taken to hospital.
Neighbour Kurt Poole said he knew some of the dogs and owns one of their puppies
He said he was surprised at the attack as “they’re good dogs”.
“They’ve never done anything bad towards us,” he said.
“We play with them all the time, we’re down here working.
“They’re happy.”
Mr Poole said three dogs lived on the property before the girl and her mother moved there with another German Shepherd.
“We don’t know that one. That dog is only a puppy as well,” he said.
He said the girl’s grandmother would be “beside herself” after the attack.
“She just wants this probably all to end and never to have happened,” he said.
Earlier this week a six-year-old girl was attacked by two bull Arabs in Woodridge after climbing on a fence.
Laquarna Chapman Palmer was left with significant injuries after she was dragged off the fence and mauled by the two dogs, while she played.
Her uncle raced to her rescue and managed to pull them off her.
She was taken to Queensland Children’s Hospital in a serious condition after sustaining significant abdominal, chest and shoulder injuries in the attack on Ormesby St, Woodridge about 4.30pm on Monday.
She remains in a serious but stable condition and has undergone an endoscopy to assess internal damage among her “significant” injuries.
CAIRNS MAN LOSES PART OF FINGER IN DOG ATTACK
In Cairns, a man out with his partner and their two dogs at Barron Gorge lost part of his finger when a pair of unleashed dogs attacked them.
Andrew Stevens, 66, his partner Helen Leicht, 59, had their dogs Marley and Jay Jay on a lead when two other dogs attacked crossed the road and began to maul them.
He said his dog Jay Jay was being severely attacked, he put his hand on Jay Jay, and the dog confusedly bit his finger. He said he didn’t realise part of his finger had been bitten off until much later.
Following the disturbing spate of dog attacks, the state government said its targeted review of animal management laws had “advanced”.
A task force was created by Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner to strengthen laws related to dangerous dogs in the community, Mark Ryan said, who is currently serving as the portfolio’s acting minister.
The laws are currently being reviewed by the Local Government Association of Queensland and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, who will advise the government on potential reforms.
“The taskforce is advanced in its discussions on priority issues identified for the targeted review of the Act,” Mr Ryan said in a statement to The Courier-Mail.
“Minister Furner is looking forward to receiving their recommendations in the near future.”
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