Death row dog Karma banished from Kingston Council following attacks

A death row dog behind savage attacks in Bonbeach has been thrown a lifeline. But the pooch won’t ever be returned to its “irresponsible” owners.

Victoria Carlino and Jason Mostert with Karma. Picture: Facebook

A dangerous death row dog which mauled several other dogs, has been granted a stay of execution but a magistrate has ordered the pooch never be returned to its “negligent and irresponsible” owners.

And Karma, an American bulldog-cross, could still be destroyed if she is ultimately found to be unsuitable to be rehomed.

Karma spent more than a year on death row after she was impounded following a vicious attack on a puppy in Bonbeach in January 2019.

Owners Victoria Carlino and Jason Mostert have fought desperately to be reunited with their “best friend” during several hearings at the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court.

In a Facebook post last June, Ms Carlino wrote Kingston Council’s case against Karma was “crazy discrimination”.

“She’s never bitten a person, only niped (sic) the little yappy dog that was off lead that came up to us,” she wrote.

Court documents obtained by the Leader show eight-month-old cavoodle Ruby was being walked on a leash along the Bonbeach foreshore when Karma ran up and mauled the tiny dog, causing severe puncture wounds which required surgery.

Karma was seized from her owners in April 2019. Picture: Facebook

According to witnesses, Mostert “got up from the sand” and tried to separate the dogs by hitting Karma on the head.

When she released Ruby, Mostert took Karma and fled the scene.

Kingston Council officers tracked Mostert down after witnesses provided his number plate and description of his car to police.

The documents show Karma had attacked other dogs on at least four occasions, with Mostert and Carlino charged and fined over the incidents.

Karma was seized from the couple’s property in April 2019.

Following the latest attack, Kingston Council wanted Karma to be destroyed after an assessment by Lost Dogs’ Home animal behaviour expert Jade Currie found her aggressive behaviour “cannot be cured”.

“There’s a common misconception that you can rehabilitate or train (aggression) out of dogs,” she said.

“(Karma) will require management for the rest of her life.”

Ms Currie said during assessment Karma had snapped and bared her teeth at the fence when another dog was on the other side.

“If there had been no fence there, I believe she would have bitten the other dog,” she said.

But Forever Friends Animal Rescue president Saskia Adams told the court trainers at the Yarra Ranges-based sanctuary were prepared to work with Karma in a bid to save her life.

Ms Adams said Karma would be placed on a behaviour modification program for up to 18 months with a view to eventually rehoming her.

She said if Karma was not suitable for adoption at the end of the program, she would be euthanised.

“I believe in this case, Karma was the victim of negligent and irresponsible owners and we’re willing to work with her.” she said.

Magistrate Paul Smith raised concerns Karma’s owners would try to get her back and ordered Ms Adams to change Karma’s name prior to adoption to make it harder for them to identify her.

If found suitable for adoption, she is not to be rehomed with friends or family of Carlino or Mostert.

Further, Karma cannot be rehomed within the Kingston municipality.

Mr Smith fined Carlino and Mostert $500 each and ordered them to pay about $38,000 in costs, including pound fees and the council’s legal bill.