Dog attack at Sharpes Beach

AN AFTERNOON at Sharpes Beach turned into a nightmare for Lennox Head's Pippa Crane and her beloved pet dog, Scruffy, when two dogs viciously attacked them.

Lennox Head resident Pippa Crane with her dog Scruffy, who is on the mend after being badly mauled by two large dogs which attacked him on Sharpes Beach last Saturday. . Picture: Jay Cronan

AN AFTERNOON at Sharpes Beach turned into a nightmare for Lennox Head resident Pippa Crane and her beloved pet dog, Scruffy.

Last Saturday, without warning, two large dogs bounded across the sand and viciously attacked Scruffy, with one of the dogs picking him up in its mouth and shaking him.

“It all happened so fast,” Ms Crane said.

“I jumped up and grabbed poor Scruffy out of the other dog’s mouth.

“I was bitten a few times on my hands and wrists.”

But Scruffy, a Jack Russell-cross, was in a far worse condition.

“The worst part was carrying him from the beach to the car, because I could feel him struggling for breath,” Ms Crane said.

“I knew he was dying and I hated to see him suffering.”

After rushing Scruffy to the emergency veterinarian at Alstonville, it was discovered he had suffered a severely punctured lung and three broken ribs.

“The vet told me that Scruffy would have been dead in another 20 minutes,” Ms Crane said.

“We debated for a while about whether he needed to be taken up to the trauma centre at the Gold Coast.

“But in the end we decided it would be better to keep him here.

“The vet did such an amazing job and we really owe him for saving Scruffy.”

A week on, Scruffy is recovering well, but still struggles to bark properly and remains on antibiotics and painkillers.

“I know he will come good,” Ms Crane said.

“But it was a really terrible experience and now I am really wary about large dogs.

“The owners of those two dogs that attacked Scruffy didn’t even know what happened.

“They should not have had them off their leashes if they knew their dogs might do something like that.

“People need to take more responsibility.”

Under Ballina Shire Council regulations, dogs are allowed on Sharpes Beach at Skennars Head, but must remain on their leashes at all times.

Read more...

Vicious dog attacks priest

Eight dog attacks a day in NSW

Originally published as Dog attack at Sharpes Beach