Surviving rottweiler which mauled its owner to be euthanised
The dog’s owner made the devastating decision more than a month after she almost lost her arm in a brutal mauling by her two rottweilers.
WA News
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A woman who was viciously mauled by her two rottweilers has made the heartbreaking decision to have her surviving dog put down.
Nikita Piil, 31, almost lost an arm and suffered severe head and leg injuries after she was mauled by her two dogs, Bronx and Harlem, at her Success home on September 16.
Seven-year-old Bronx was shot by attending police officers after attempts to taser the dog failed. He was later euthanised at a veterinary hospital.
Ms Piil had until Saturday to decide whether to surrender her surviving dog to the City of Cockburn, who, following an extensive investigation, had classified the pet as a “dangerous dog”.
Harlem had been kept at the pound for about five weeks.
In a statement from the council, City of Cockburn head of community safety and ranger services Michael Emery said Ms Piil made the call on Friday afternoon.
“The procedure will be done by a suitably qualified veterinary at our Animal Management Facility,” he said.
“While the City would always prefer to find solutions that do not require animals to be put down, in this case the dog will need to be euthanised in the interest of public safety.”
Mr Emery said that keeping animals in shelters for long periods of time could cause them “significant distress”, and that he believed euthanasia had been the “best” decision in this case.
Once deemed “dangerous”, dogs are not rehomed by the council and are euthanised unless collected by their owners.
“Declared dangerous dogs are required to be secured to a higher standard than other dogs,” the council said in a statement.
Keeping Harlem would have required Ms Piil to install warning signs at her property, keep the dog away from children aged seven and under, keep him muzzled when out of his secure enclosure and on-lead at any public dog exercise areas.
The City of Cockburn also denied any reports that one of the dogs had previously attacked a delivery driver after escaping through the front door of Ms Piil’s home earlier this year.
“The City has no record of the dogs attacking prior to this tragic incident,” the council said in a statement.
“The City had received two barking complaints about the dogs in 2022.
“We understand the traumatic events the owner has undergone and we wish her a speedy recovery.”
Ms Piil’s family said the mauling occurred after the 31-year-old got “caught in a crossfire” trying to settle her two pets.
“She loved and adored her dogs, and her friends and family have witnessed how much they loved her too,” they said in a statement published to GoFundMe.
On September 28 the family said Ms Piil had already undergone five surgeries “with countless more on the horizon as she continues to fight to keep her arm and life”.
Family members also revealed bacteria from the dogs’ mouths had caused “ongoing serious complications” for the 31-year-old.
“We nearly lost our precious girl a couple of times … but as you all know, Nikita is our little fighter,” they said.
The council said its investigation into the incident examined the circumstances of the attack, whether the dog was provoked, witness statements and the overall injuries sustained.
Ms Piil’s family was contacted for comment.
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