‘Tore his throat out’: Grovedale couple traumatised after puppy killed

The fatal and vicious alleged attack on a Grovedale couple’s puppy comes after their other dog was mauled within an inch of its life. Warning graphic content.

14-05-2025 Blake Bonham and Brooklyn Stott with dog Raffie who was attacked by their neighbour’s dogs. Picture: Brad Fleet

A Grovedale woman says she has been left traumatised after her neighbour’s dog allegedly mauled her 17-week-old American staffordshire puppy to death.

Brooklyn Stott claims a neighbour’s three dogs, also American staffordshires, tore a hole in her fence before launching the brutal attack on May 8.

She alleged the fatal incident occurred two years after her other dog, Raffie, was seriously injured in an attack by the same dogs.

Ms Stott said she came home to find her dog Zeus’s lifeless body wedged in a hole in her fence.

Brooklyn Stott arrived home to find her new puppy's corpse wedged between two palings on her back fence. Picture: Supplied

“Half of him was still in my yard and the other half had been pulled through a gap in the wire fence put up after the last attack … his neck had been snapped,” she said.

“That’s when I called my brother who is a police officer to come help get his body out, but the dogs started attacking him and he had to use a shovel as self-defence.”

Ms Stott said police and council officers attended the scene and removed Zeus’s body from the hole, revealing a sight that has continued to haunt her and her partner, Blake Bonham.

“When they laid him out on the ground in front of me, he was missing part of his snout, bits of his tongue … then I realised his entire throat was gone,” Ms Stott said.

“It was just his windpipe.

“So they’d actually swallowed his whole neck and throat.”

Ms Scott held her puppy for the last time after it a vicious alleged attack. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Stott said she implored the City of Greater Geelong to take stronger action against the dogs following the 2023 attack.

Ms Stott said it failed to take measures that would have prevented Zeus’s death.

Ms Stotts other dog Raffie had been attacked as a puppy by the same dogs in early 2023. Picture: Supplied

“I asked that they should have to install metal fencing with a minimum of 20cm of professionally installed concrete along my fence to prevent them from being able to obviously rip pailings off like they’d done the first time,” she said.

“Instead they had temporary wired fences like what they use at music festivals and maybe a centimetre of a concrete home job.”

Despite being approved by two council inspections, Ms Stott said the dogs had no problem “tearing off the panels and ripping through the wire fencing”.

Council would not comment on the previous attack.

The dogs allegedly launched their attack after tearing palings from the fence. Picture supplied.

The City of Greater Geelong’s Anthony Basford confirmed “several dogs were surrendered to us that day”.

“We are unable to provide further comment as the matter is under investigation,” he said.

It’s understood the staffies have been put down, but Ms Stott says it’s not them she blames for the loss of her beloved puppy.

“I actually think it’s really sad, it’s not their fault.

“I also blame the council because this shouldn’t have happened,” she said.

Asked if she intends to take legal action, Ms Stott said nothing will bring her puppy back, “but we definitely need some sort of compensation”.

“Obviously my mental health is at its lowest and my partner and I are really struggling with flashbacks of seeing his body like that”.

“I want doctors and psychologist appointments paid for,” she said.

The owners of the dogs that allegedly killed Zeus were approached for comment, but declined.

Originally published as ‘Tore his throat out’: Grovedale couple traumatised after puppy killed