Two Staffordshire terriers break into cafe petting zoo and kill six hand-reared animals
TWO Staffies have escaped a home and slaughtered a number of hand-reared animals inside a much-loved petting zoo at an iconic Blue Mountains cafe early this morning.
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IT looked like more like farmageddon than a popular Glenbrook children’s petting zoo at the 2773 cafe this morning.
Last night two Staffordshire terriers allegedly escaped from a yard in the area without their owner’s knowledge and gained entry to the cafe’s animal enclosure, killing six of their eight pets.
Baaarney the sheep and five chickens affectionately known as the chookas fell victim before a mystery woman saved the day, alerting police to the attack and screaming at the dogs in an effort to stop them killing more animals.
Now two pigs — a hobbled Missy Piggins and her apparent defender Morris — are all that remain.
Restaurant manager Dave Clark, who was the first to receive a call from police, said the woman hadn’t come forward but had almost certainly ensured the death toll wasn’t higher.
“The woman who raised the alarm, we don’t even know who she is, she probably saved the other animals’ lives,” Mr Clark said.
“She hasn’t come forward yet so we don’t even know who that is.”
Mr Clark described it as a “nightmare” on Ross St, where the cafe is situated in the lower Blue Mountains.
Mr Clark received a call from police about 12.15am this morning to tell him there had been a massacre on site for the second time in a year.
“We couldn’t believe it,” he said. “We thought the fence that they got in, was safe.
“It was sold to us as fox proof.
“The fence goes down and actually goes in about a foot and a half, but where the dogs got in it doesn’t underlay for some reason — we were astounded.”
Mr Clark said the distraught owner was called by animal control officers and picked the dogs up.
“He was just a normal guy”, Mr Clark said.
“He was obviously very distressed because he knows how much they mean to this business.”
Mr Clark declined to enter into discussion about the future of the two dogs.
“We’re devastated as you can well imagine — these are our pets — (but) there is no positive, there is nothing that can come out if this that is good,” he said.
“The dogs are known to police, his animals are probably going to be put down and our animals are dead. There is no happy ending for anyone.”
The cafe is hugely popular with local families and visitors who take the chance to eat with the animals.
“They’re a very big part of what goes on here and very much a part of the picture. Their enclosure is most of the size of the outside dining area,” he said.
“The kids love them, they come down here and they laugh and squeal and it’s unreal.”
It’s the second time the petting zoo has been attacked with Daphne, a much-loved pig at the cafe, killed when a dog raced past a groundskeeper and latched on to her about a year ago.
The cafe and entire Glenbrook community have their “fingers crossed” that Missy Piggins and Morris pull through.
Vet Craig Kelly from Blaxland Vet Clinic assessed the duo this morning and said he hoped they would make a full recovery.
“They have lacerations to their ankles, that is the main thing that concerns me at the moment,” he said.
“There are no fractures just some ankle bites, I will give them some antibiotics and hopefully they will turn around in a couple of days.”
He described the Staffordshire terriers as “full-on dogs”, but said they did not necessarily need to be euthanised.
“They are often dogs that I would call full-on dogs, when they want to do something they will do it to their ultimate capacity,” he said.
“They make good family dogs, they are good around children but aren’t always as good around other animals.”
He didn’t blame the dog’s owners, saying: “People do the best they can, but if a dog wants to get out it will.”
But not everyone was so understanding.
Therese Halligan comes to 2773 regularly with her daughter Estella, 3, and placed the blame squarely on the dog’s owners.
“2773 take very good care of their animals, they are looked after properly in an enclosure,” she said.
“The owners of dogs need to take responsibility and make sure they aren’t able to get out.
“These animals were enclosed, the cafe has done the right thing, you don’t expect your animals to get killed by someone else’s who is not taking care of them. “
Mr Kelly said the dogs would likely face heavy restrictions “in terms of keeping them locked up”.
“If that can prove to be effective I see no reason why the dogs would need to be euthanised.”
The cafe is still unsure whether or not they will replace their lost pets, said Mr Clark.
Police said they were working with Blue Mountains City Council to investigate the matter and Acting Inspector Magill said possible charges could be laid against the dog’s owners.
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