Dog attacks in Sydney: The worst suburbs for dangerous canines and the most attacks
PET owners are being warned their beloved pets are potentially lethal. The warning comes as The Daily Telegraph can today reveal councils have been forced to destroy 1766 dogs in the past five years to keep people safe.
NSW
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PET owners are being warned their beloved pets are potentially lethal.
The warning comes as The Daily Telegraph can today reveal councils have been forced to destroy 1766 dogs in the past five years to keep people safe.
A further 1688 dogs have been declared dangerous in that time — forcing owners to keep them locked up and take them out in public only if they are wearing a muzzle.
Following the recent death of one-year-old Kamillah Jones by her grandmother’s pet rottweiller at Inverell and the mauling of Tom Higgins, 3, who had his ear bitten off by a great dane at Newcastle the Daily Telegraph has conducted a special investigation into dog
attacks which has revealed there have been 3,389 incidents of dogs seriously mauling people in the past five years.
That is the equivalent of more than one serious dog attack on a person each day.
These attacks were so serious the victims required medical treatment, hospitalisation or they died from their injuries.
Australian Institute of Local Government Rangers spokesman Steve Larson said the “shocking” figures showed a “distinct lack of responsibility” by negligent owners.
Office of Local Government figures show the dog breeds most commonly involved in attacks are Staffordshire bull terriers followed by American Staffordshire terriers.
Both breeds account for about 480 attacks every year.
Other dangerous breeds include blue heelers and german shepherds. Mr Larson said, however, it was simplistic to blame certain breeds, saying “crossbreeding” made identification a “very grey area”.
The Central Coast was the region with the most dog attacks last financial year, with the council reporting 482 incidents to the Office of Local Government.
In the past five financial years there have been 161 serious dog attacks, while 19 dogs have been declared dangerous and another 115 were destroyed between 2012 and 2016.
Meia Penglaze doesn’t remember the attack by a neighbour’s cattle dog cross but scars under her right eye and her chin — plus her deep fear of dogs — serve as permanent reminders.
Her father Brendan was going to “let go” of the attack because he was friends with the dog’s owner but changed his mind after the animal tried to attack his older daughter Chloe.
“If we didn’t complain someone was going to get badly injured or die,” he said.
The dog’s owner challenged a council dangerous dog declaration but a court upheld the decision.
Shine lawyer Elle Dalzell said the Penglaze family are now seeking compensation for Meia’s injuries and for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dog trainer Steve Austin said dogs were only declared dangerous when they have “done quite a horrendous act”.
Mr Austin regularly assesses problem pets for owners contesting a council’s decision to declare their dogs dangerous or declare them as “menacing” — a less onerous restriction which means the dog only has to wear a muzzle when being walked.
He said some owners of dangerous dogs just refused to accept responsibility.
“I had one man whose Alaskan malamute killed two dogs at the park,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“He looked me in the eye and said, ‘I don’t care what the council says ... I will take it to an off-leash park if I like.’ That’s the sort of people you are dealing with.”
Mr Austin said dogs could behave dangerously if they are not socialised as pups. He also said they needed constant “physical and mental stimulation”. “Walk them until their legs fall off,” he said.
An Office of Local Government spokeswoman said NSW had the “best and toughest system for managing dangerous breeds” in Australia.
SERIOUS DOG ATTACKS ON PEOPLE IN NSW
In the past five financial years: 3,389
Number of dogs declared dangerous in NSW 1,688
THE BREAKDOWN
Central Coast has the most dog attacks (482 in the past financial year)
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years: 161
Declared dangerous dogs 19
Number of dogs microchipped in LGA 118,186
Lake Macquarie Council
221 dog attacks in the past financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 105
Declared dangerous dogs 25
Number of dogs microchipped in LGA 79,218
Penrith Council 52 dog attacks in the past financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 30
Declared dangerous dogs 28
Number of dogs microchipped 70,954
Wollongong City Council dog attacks reported in the past financial year 189
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 133
Declared dangerous dogs 21
Number of dogs microchipped in LGA 56,459
Campbelltown Council 106 dogs attacks in the last financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 92
Declared dangerous dogs 14
Number of dogs microchipped 46,340
Liverpool Council 23 dog attacks reported in the past financial year.
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 26
Declared dangerous dogs 14
Number of dogs microchipped in LGA 43,250
Hills Shire Council 48 dogs attacks in the last financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 58
Declared dangerous dogs 16
Number of dogs microchipped 40,240
Hawkesbury Council 24 dogs attacks in the last financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 26
Declared dangerous dogs 13
Number of dogs microchipped in LGA 38,096
Hornsby Council 60 dog attacks in the last financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 64
Declared dangerous dogs 4
Number of dogs microchipped 32, 452
City of Sydney 127 dogs attacks in the past financial year
Serious dog attacks on people in the past five financial years 45
Declared dangerous dogs 2
Number of dogs microchipped 21,583
Figures from the Office of Local Government
A dog attack on a person is defined as serious if it requires medical attention, hospitalisation or death.
A dog can be declared dangerous if it attacks a person without provocation. The owner is then required to keep the dog caged and only allow it out if it is wearing a muzzle and is placed on a lead.