Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor increases patrols in a bid to reduce the number of dog attacks

A southeast Queensland council has revealed the worst suburbs for dog attacks and the top three have already attracted attention for all the wrong reasons when it comes to animals.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has revealed which suburbs had the highest number of dog attacks.

CABOOLTURE, Morayfield and Deception Bay have been named the worst suburbs in Moreton Bay for dog attacks just weeks after being revealed as Queensland’s animal cruelty hot spots.

The Caboolture Herald can reveal the top ten suburbs where residents were reportedly attacked by dogs last year, according to Moreton Bay Regional Council figures.

Caboolture had 91 reported attacks and Morayfield had 50, followed by Deception Bay with 49.

The three were also the worst for dog attacks in 2017 and, alarmingly, attacks in Caboolture are up from 77 to 91.

However, attacks in Deception Bay fell from 68, while Morayfield’s figure was down from 59.

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In January, the RSPCA revealed the same three suburbs were the worst suburbs in Queensland for animal cruelty cases.

The other suburbs in the top ten Narangba with 41, Burpengary and Kallangur tied for 36, followed by Clontarf at 30, Petrie and Albany Creek had 24 and Beachmere had 19.

Caboolture had the most registered dogs in the region with 5105 but had almost double the number of attacks as the next worst suburb, Morayfield, which has 4512 registered dogs.

Deception Bay has 3538 registered dogs.

Mayor Allan Sutherland said there were increased patrols in off-leash recreational areas where there were a “concerning” number of attacks against people and wildlife.

He said local laws officers also conducted property inspections on fencing for dogs, particularly where dogs were declared dangerous.

“Our data shows that most dog attacks involve dogs that are not secured in a properly fenced area, wandering at large or not under the effective control of their owners,” he said.

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said attacks could often be linked to dogs not being cared for properly.

Michael Beatty at the RSPCA in Wacol. PICTURE: AAP/ John Gass

“It’s not being exercised, it’s not being taken for training,” he said.

He said hot spots for dog attacks and animal cruelty complaints “unfortunately” lined up with lower socio-economic areas.

“Some people think it’s their right to own an animal and they forget about the responsibilities, and the financial responsibilities as well,” he said.

He said people needed to “really think through” owning an animal.

“A pet’s meant to be part of the family, it’s not meant to be locked out the back on a chain and never get walked,” he said.

He said Moreton Bay Regional Council was taking animal cruelty cases to court more often, which would hopefully act as a deterrent to irresponsible pet ownership.