Nicole Ackerman ordered to pay$12,569 compensation after deadly dog attack on beloved pet
A simple mistake sparked a chain of events that resulted in the shocking death of a beloved pet and landed a Skye mum in court.
South East
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A Skye mum of four has been slapped with a bill for $15,636 after her “American staffy-like dogs” launched a deadly attack on an elderly dog.
Nicole Elissa Ackerman on Tuesday faced Frankston Magistrates Court over an October 4 attack on a 12-year-old Scottish Terrier.
The dog was later euthanised as a result of serious injuries sustained in the attack.
Ms Ackerman plead guilty to a series of offences including her dogs being at large, attacking another animal causing serious injury and not being registered.
She was ordered to pay $12,569 in compensation for vet bills to the owner of the Scottish Terrier, $2927 in pound fees for her dog and the council’s $140 court costs.
Frankston Council prosecutor Bruce Gardiner said the Scottish Terrier was being walked along a Skye street by its owner when Ms Ackerman’s female “American staffy-like dog” left her property and grabbed the smaller dog, biting its head and neck and shaking the animal.
The little dog was yelping in pain when Ms Ackerman’s second “American staffy-like dog” joined the attack, grabbing the victim in the stomach and groin.
A neighbour in their dressing gown rushed to help but was unable to separate the dogs.
The Scottish Terrier was finally freed from the grip of the attacking dogs by two men who stepped in to assist.
Mr Gardiner said council officers seized the female dog and took it to the Lost Dogs Home but the male dog was not removed from the property until after a search warrant was obtained on October 10.
He said the attack was a concern to the council and a warning to other dog owners of the “significant risk to the ommunity” from dogs that were not confined.
Defence lawyer Michael Faltermaier said Ackerman, who was an animal lover, acknowledged it was a “terrifying, horrible incident”.
The court heard Ackerman had owned Bruce, 9, and Torvi, 3, since they were puppies and neither had injured another animal before.
Mr Faltermaier said the dogs escaped his client’s property after a side gate was not latched properly by a guest who visited the house for a function organised by Ackerman’s 19-year-old-son.
A lock had been added to the gate immediately after the incident to ensure the dogs did not escape again and Ackerman held the only key.
An enclosure had also been constructed at the property where the dogs were now kept when no one was home.
Mr Gardiner commended Ackerman for fixing the gate after the attack but said “it would have been nice if the dogs had been registered and those works done some time previously”.
Magistrate Suzette Dootjes said the attack was “a terrifying and traumatic event for the dog owner as well as he dog and the other witnesses”.
She took into account Akerman’s guilty plea, genuine remorse and the fact her dogs had not been involved in any previous incidents.
Ackerman was placed on a 12 month adjourned undertaking and no conviction was recorded.
She was given a year to pay the compensation, pound fees and court costs for the council.