Elwood dog attack prompts call for tougher beach leash laws

An Elwood man has called for tougher on-leash restrictions at the beach after an unrestrained dog “just lashed out” and mauled his pet pooch.

Justin Imhoff with his dog, Buddy, who was attacked by an off-leash dog at Elwood beach. Picture: Josie Hayden

A beloved pet pooch is lucky to escape serious injury after being mauled by an off-leash dog at Elwood Beach.

Now his owner is calling for tougher leash laws in the “extremely dog-dense” suburb as data reveals there have been 55 dog attacks reported to Port Phillip Council so far this year, including instances of rushing or canines not be under effective control.

Justin Imhoff said he was recently walking english staffordshire terrier Buddy on a lead along a path near the beach when another dog ran over from the foreshore.

Mr Imhoff said the other dog “just lashed out”, sinking its jaws into Buddy’s cheek.

“All I was worried about was my dog getting his face ripped off,” Mr Imhoff said.

“I wanted to hurt the dog to get it to let go but at the same time I didn’t want to hurt it so it was a hard situation and something I’d ever had to deal with before.”

Buddy was lucky to escape serious injury.

Mr Imhoff said the owner of the other dog, also an english staffy, wrestled his dog to the ground and prised its jaws open to free Buddy.

“We sat together for about half an hour with our dogs — and of course I gave him a piece of my mind — and I tried to help him correct his dog’s behaviour,” he said.

“I love the breed and I love dogs and I wanted to help because I don’t want that sort of thing to happen again.”

Mr Imhoff said the owner of the offending dog paid half Buddy’s vet bill and was genuinely apologetic, even promising to keep his pooch on a lead in the future.

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Mr Imhoff said while Buddy was fine moments after the attack, he had been rattled by the incident.

“When we go on walks there are random off-leash dogs coming up to us all the time and I get a bit nervous,” he said.

“People have their dogs off-leash all the time, despite restrictions and they’re not paying attention to their dogs.

“People just aren’t being vigilant about their pets and that’s frustrating because at the end of the day they’re animals, they’re unpredictable and if you’re not paying attention to them you shouldn’t have them off-leash.”

Mr Imhoff said he was now wary of dogs not on leads and tried to avoid them while out with Buddy.

“It’s a losing battle — it’s like playing a video game, I’m constantly dodging off-leash dogs,” he said.

Mr Imhoff called for more signs to “clear up any confusion” around on and off-leash areas and for the council to take a tougher stance.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s something that is policed at all or that the council really enforces,” he said.

Port Phillip Mayor Dick Gross said people caught defying rules in designated on-leash areas faced fines of $165 per dog.

Almost 80 fines have been issued this year, including 27 in Elwood.

Dogs are only banned from the beach between November 1 to March 31.

“As there are currently no restrictions in place and less dogs visit the beach in the colder months, council’s animal management officers have reduced their patrols of the foreshore but are still undertaking random checks,” Cr Gross said.

He said the council was not planning to “add to the already visible and permanent signage” along the foreshore.

During the busier summer months, extra temporary signs would be put up to reinforce the message, he said.