Brutal dog attack on young mum should have been avoided, elderly woman claims
An elderly woman who was mauled by three dogs the day before a young mum and her baby were attacked by the same pack of dogs says the second attack could have been avoided.
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The elderly woman attacked by a pack of mauling dogs says the second horrific attack on a young mother and her baby the next day “should never have happened”.
Sunbury woman Christine, 71, was set upon by a group of three American staffy-like dogs as she was walking alone to the milk bar on Melba Ave on August 29.
The victim is still visiting the Royal Melbourne Hospital after she broke her hip and was bitten several times that has required skin graft surgery around her body.
She said the dogs should have been taken away that afternoon before they launched a second attack on a 35-year-old woman the following day.
The young mother had been walking her 16-month-old baby in a pram when the same pack of dogs targeted her on Withers Close on August 30.
The three dogs were euthanised hours after attacking the mother but Christine said the Hume City Council should have intervened earlier.
“It’s an unpleasant situation and it shouldn’t have happened. I feel for the young lady who was attacked the day after, that should never have happened,” Christine told the Herald Sun.
“Those dogs, in my opinion, should have been seized that afternoon, but that’s my opinion. I don’t know why they weren’t seized and it should never have happened to the young lady.
“I know how I felt when I was being attacked, but she had to protect her baby as well. That must have been heartbreaking for her.
“My heart just goes out to her, I know how terrified I would have been if I was thinking about my child at the same time. It would have been mind boggling.”
Christine spent 10 days in the Royal Melbourne Hospital after the “terrifying” attack and had one of her last appointments on Friday.
She said one of the “big bites” on her body “will take quite a long time to heal”.
“I’m okay, I’m slowly getting there,” she added.
“They knocked me flying and I broke my hip so I couldn’t get up to go anywhere and they just had me on the ground.
“It was terrifying, but luckily there were some very good Samaritans who came to my rescue and got bitten themselves, but they helped me.
“They were terrific but I was in no fit state to do anything or thank them at the time, but hopefully I can thank them down the track.”
Victoria Police directed all enquiries to Hume City Council who have been contacted for comment.
Originally published as Brutal dog attack on young mum should have been avoided, elderly woman claims
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