Woman’s plea after beloved pet was viciously mauled to death

An 80-year-old woman from north of Brisbane is urging pet owners to be aware of their surroundings after witnessing her beloved dog viciously mauled to death.

Maureen Merry's 13-year-old dog, Molly

MAUREEN Merry lay on her neighbour’s driveway covered in her much loved dog’s blood.

The 80-year-old Rothwell woman was screaming for help after her pet was mauled to death by another dog and now she’s reminding residents to be more aware of their surroundings.

“I can’t get that picture out of my head … my little Molly in that big dog’s mouth,” she said.

“It was like when a puppy plays with a toy but my Molly was the toy and the big dog was just shaking her. It wouldn’t stop.”

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: 50C A DAY FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS (MIN COST $15)

Ms Merry said she was walking her 13-year-old Papillion dog along Morris Rd, Rothwell, north of Brisbane, on August 26 and was only three doors from home when a large brown dog snuck up behind her and mauled Molly, leaving a hole in the side of the animals body.

“I collapsed on the ground. I was in a state of shock,” she said.

“It was traumatising. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

Ms Merry said Molly had to be euthanized as a result of the attack and she has since seen a doctor for her own health in regards to the incident.

“I haven’t slept much, I’m still in shock,” she said.

“I’ll never get another dog again. I’m too frightened to walk it in the streets.

“I can’t blame the other dog either. The people should have taken better care.”

Maureen Merry's 13-year-old dog, Molly

The Rothwell resident said despite a number of people ignoring her calls for help on the day, a Kippa-Ring couple did stop to help.

“I’d like to thank Joan and Dennis Patterson for driving me and Molly to the vets and for keeping an eye on me after too,” she said.

Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland said “dogs can be like shotguns in the hands of irresponsible owners”.

“I’m a dog lover, I’ve had dogs most of my life,” he said.

“But the number of dog attacks on innocent children, joggers and animals in our region is unacceptable.

“I’ve met with families who have been victims of dog attacks and know that these incidents can leave both physical and emotional scars for life.

“That’s why Council’s taken a zero tolerance approach to irresponsible dog ownership.

“I note that the animal responsible for this attack has been put down, nonetheless our officers will investigate the incident.”

The dog involved in the attack was put down and was not considered a dangerous dog before the incident.

There was a total of 305 dog attacks reported across the Moreton Bay region from January 1 - June 30, 2019.

The suburb with the highest rate of attacks was Caboolture with 28.

Closely behind, Kallangur had 24 reported attacks across the six month period.

Dog attacks by suburb in Redcliffe

Clontarf - 7

Deception Bay - 19

Kippa Ring - 7

Margate - 1

Newport - 2

Redcliffe - 10

Rothwell - 4

Scarborough - 5

Woody Point - 5