Moreton Bay Regional Council cracks down on dangerous dogs lowering attack numbers

A council north of Brisbane, with the unwanted reputation of having one of the highest rates of dog attacks in southeast Queensland, has seen drastic results after cracking down on dangerous and menacing dogs. SEE THE NUMBERS

Moreton Bay Regional Council is turning its reputation for too many dog attacks around by cracking down on dog owners and sending ratepayers who refuse to comply through the court system.

The Council started working to adopt its zero tolerance approach after seven-year-old Lizzie Wingrove had a chunk bitten out of her face by dog Hank, a neo-mastiff, in 2016 at Rothwell, scarring her for life.

She was rushed to hospital and required plastic surgery to repair the hole in her face.

Twice the courts decided the dog should be put down, but the dog’s owners appealed and a third court finding determined Hank should be allowed to move back home.

Lizzie’s mum Veronica Wingrove has been a strong advocate for tougher legislation surrounding dangerous dogs since the attack.

05-06-2021 Lizzie Wingrove, 12, at Redcliffe Jetty 4 years after she was attacked by a dog in her own street. Lizzie is still undergoing plastic surgery to minimise the scaring. PICTURE: Brad Fleet

Moreton Bay Regional Council’s focus on dangerous and menacing dog owners through the Systematic Inspection Program for Regulated Dogs made an impact over the first three years of its rollout, with new figures showing noncompliance was at an all-time low of 2.5 per cent.

The program sees owners of dogs that have attacked a person or animal undergo checks to ensure they are complying with conditions required to keep the dog.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the program was a direct response to the alarmingly high amount of serious dog attacks on people and other animals in Moreton Bay in previous years.

“We love our pets in Moreton Bay but for too long we’ve had the unwanted tag of having one of the highest rates of dog attacks in southeast Queensland, which is simply unacceptable for the safety of our residents and their pets,” he said.

“These dangerous dogs are regulated under State Government legislation by being kept under strict conditions to ensure that they don’t attack again.

“Since the introduction of the program we’ve seen the noncompliance of keeping regulated dogs fall from 31 per cent in the first year (2019-20) to just 2.5 per cent in 2021-22, which is a huge improvement.

“During that time, we’ve seen serious dog attacks consistently dropping across Moreton Bay despite our population and dog populations booming over the past few years, which I think is, in part, due to the success of the Systematic Inspection Program.”

In 2019 the Moreton Bay had 765 serious dog attacks and in 2021 only 664 serious dog attacks.

The program gives authorised and trained council officers power to enter any property within the region where a regulated dog is registered.

Council officers conducting the inspections are kitted up with audio-recording body cameras.

If officers identify residents not complying with the legislation they will go through their normal enforcement channels, which can involve court proceedings and hefty fines.

“While it has reduced and we’re on track to be slightly lower on that total again this year, it is still much too high for my liking but it’s a positive step forward,” Mr Flannery said.

“That’s why we have a multiple-pronged approach by prosecuting repeat offenders through the court system and, importantly, educating the public on responsible pet ownership before it becomes a problem.

“We will continue to ramp up our efforts to regulate dangerous dogs and keep the community safe well into the future, but this is a team effort and we need your help to stamp out irresponsible behaviours and dangerous dog attacks in Moreton Bay.”