Man viciously attacked after asking dog walker in Patterson Lakes to pick up after his pet

A MAN has had his jaw broken in a vicious attack in Melbourne’s south when he asked a dog walker to clean up after the animal defecated on his lawn.

A man was brutally beaten after asking a dog walker to clean up after his pet.

A MAN has been viciously beaten by a dog walker when he asked him to clean up after the animal.

The dog had defecated on the 62-year-old victim’s front lawn and when he confronted the dog owner he was told to “f**k off” before being attacked.

The man, also a dog owner, suffered a broken jaw, swollen cheek and bloodied face after the shock assault, which happened on this month in Mermaid Court, Patterson Lakes.

Victoria Police acting Senior Sergeant Kris Hamilton urged people to make an assessment about their safety before approaching a stranger on an issue like dog mess.

He said there was “no right or wrong answer” on how to approach such a situation.

“A friendly comment politely suggesting the owner should pick up their dogs droppings, in most cases, shouldn’t result in a physical assault and hold the perpetrator accountable,” Sen-Sgt Hamilton said.

“If the witness made an assessment and deemed the person’s demeanour unpleasant — if they appeared confrontational, substance affected, violent or any other suggestion they may become aggressive — it may be best to not engage.”

He said another option could be to report the behaviour to the local council.

Kingston chief executive John Nevins said if someone saw a local law being broken, it was best to contact Kingston’s Local Laws officers to report it.

“Take note of the time and date, a car registration or address, and Kingston City Council officers will investigate,” Mr Nevins said.

“Even if you don’t know who the offender is, Kingston Local Laws Officers/Rangers can include the route on their regular patrols.”

Police are still searching for the attacker and are calling for public help.

He is described as a tall, thin man, about 35 years old.

He was wearing a grey beanie and grey jumper and walking a brown medium sized dog.

Anyone with information can contact the Kingston Crime Investigation Unit on 9556 6111 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Kingston Local Law officers can be contacted on 1300 653 356