Mother questions Moreland Council delay after Gilpin Park dog attack
The mother of a girl injured by a Maltese cross in a Brunswick park says her daughter has been traumatised by the attack. But the rescued canine’s carer has called for empathy, saying “you can’t expect much from the dog after what it’s been through”.
North West
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The mum of a five-year-old girl bitten by a dog with a traumatic past in Brunswick has hit out at what she says is a lack of council action on the incident.
But Moreland Council says it is still investigating after the woman provided “limited information” on the attack.
Sri Elkins’ daughter Ellie was playing in the off lead Gilpin Dog Park on September 14 when a small white Maltese cross came up to her from behind and bit her on the back of the leg, just above her ankle.
The sizeable gash in Ellie’s leg needed hospital treatment and she has not been able to swim or bathe since the injury.
“It was extremely traumatic for her, she’s just a five-year-old girl,” Ms Elkins said.
She said she had reported the attack to the council three times, including providing them a statutory declaration, supplying a photo of the wound and passing on the details of the dog’s carer.
But when Ellie’s father Jaden Meek contacted the dog’s carer on September 26 she revealed to him the council was yet to contact her.
The council made contact with the carer on October 3.
The current carer of the Maltese cross, who asked not to be named but confirmed the incident, said she had picked the dog up from a shelter the day before the attack.
She also said the dog had been taken to the shelter after its original owner had died and it had been in the house for “at least” three days with the dead body.
Ms Elkins said given the circumstances it was questionable whether the dog should have been allowed off its leash.
But the dog’s carer told Leader the dog had no history of biting and wasn’t vicious.
“You can’t expect much from the dog after what it’s been through,” she said.
Ms Elkins also slammed the council for taking so long to contact the carer.
Moreland Council Acting Director City Infrastructure Greg Gale said they were investigating the matter and needed to obtain further information from Ms Elkins.
“It is important for dog carers to care for their pet responsibly and make sure their dog is always under effective control in any public place,” he said.
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“Council takes reports of dog attacks seriously, investigates all reports and takes appropriate action.
“Council received limited information from the complainant in this case and is actively working to obtain further information to determine an appropriate course of action.”