Rottweiler in ‘traumatising’ attack on toddler euthanised

The vicious rottweiler involved in a horrific attack on a toddler in Corio has been “voluntarily handed over and euthanised” by the council.

The vicious rottweiler involved in a horrific dog attack on a toddler has been euthanised by council days after the ordeal.

In a statement released on Friday, City of Greater Geelong’s director of city services Guy Wilson-Browne said the dog was “today voluntarily handed over and euthanised”.

Under state legislation, local councils can authorise to put down a dog if it is involved in an attack on a person or another animal.

Witnesses that saw the rottweiler latch onto the toddler’s body on Cloverdale Drive in Corio called the attack “traumatising” and “horrific”.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, rushed to the girl’s aid after he heard the child crying for help.

“The kid was in the air and the dog was latched on,” the neighbour said.

Police on the scene after the attack in Cloverdale Dr, Corio.

Another man had to kick the dog “four or five times in the head” in order to rescue the toddler.

The child, understood to be a two-year old girl, was rushed to Geelong University Hospital on Wednesday with serious lower-body injuries.

She was then transferred to Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and on Friday was in stable condition.

It’s understood the dog belonged to a friend of the child’s mother who had been minding the animal since last Sunday.

The Geelong council is preparing a new domestic animal management plan, which will guide how it manages cats and dogs in the region.

The draft plan calls for all dog attacks and related incidents to be reported to council, and for canine safety education programs to be rolled out in schools.