Greyhound leash laws: Caulfield South man fronts court over off-lead pet
A Caulfield South man has been ordered to stump up $8000 after he let his “docile and gentle” pet greyhound roam free at a popular off-leash dog park. And he has says the rule targeting the breed is unfair.
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The owner of a “docile and gentle” greyhound taken to court for allowing his dog to roam free at an off-leash park in Caulfield South has been ordered to pay Glen Eira Council almost $8000.
Denny Mileikowski fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on August 17 over eight charges of letting rescued greyhound Willow wander freely at Princes Park.
Under state laws — enforced by local councils — greyhounds must be on a leash when in public places, including off-leash areas.
Mr Mileikowski was last year slapped with two fines totalling $500 for letting five-year-old Willow wander but the family chose to fight the fines in court, claiming the law was unfair.
A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the Mileikowski family’s legal costs raised about $4200.
Defence lawyer Laurence White told the court as the “dogs off-leash” sign didn’t specifically exclude greyhounds, Mr Mileikowski should have been entitled to exercise Willow there.
“It says dogs are permitted to be off-leash, a greyhound is a dog, therefore she should be allowed to be off lead unless it’s clearly stated that otherwise,” he said.
But Magistrate Paul Smith said greyhounds would not be allowed off-leash unless an area was designated as a “greyhound off-leash area”.
Mr Mileikowski, 59, was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond which stipulates he must keep Willow on a lead at all times in public.
He was also ordered to pay the council’s court costs of $7990.
Mr Mileikowski, a landscape gardener out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic, said the amount was “absolutely crushing”.
Speaking to the Leader earlier this year, Mr Mileikowski’s daughter, Lior, said the greyhound leash laws were cruel.
“Willow is no more of a risk than any other off-leash dog at the park — she mostly just lays down beside us while the other dogs run around,” she said.
“Each greyhound is so individual it’s unfair to put them all in the same basket and that’s what this law does.
“Owners of other breeds are deemed to be responsible enough to decide if their dog can be let off the leash, we just want owners of greyhounds to be given the same level of trust.
“Apart from being born a greyhound, Willow has done nothing wrong.”
RSPCA Victoria chief executive Liz Walker said dogs should be assessed on an individual basis and not subject to breed-specific legislation.
“Dog attacks can occur for a variety of reasons, and breed alone is not a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour,” she said.
“Each individual dog should be assessed based on their behaviour.’
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