‘Irresponsible’ owner blamed after dog kills koala in brutal mauling

Koala rescuers have been left furious after a seven-month-old koala joey was mauled to death near a controversial off-leash dog park in Queensland.

Koala rescuers have been left “filled with anger” after a seven-month-old koala joey was mauled to death near a controversial off-leash dog park in Queensland’s Sweeney Reserve.

Close to 1500 people have signed a change.org petition to close the “unofficial” off-leash area, where both koalas and wallabies are attacked and killed by dogs each year.

Last Monday, the baby koala Peta and her mum Jatz were attacked by a dog, suspected to have been running around the area.

While Jatz’s injuries weren’t fatal, Peta’s “lifeless body was found on the footpath”, Moreton Bay Koala Rescue wrote in a Facebook post on July 20.

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Koala joey Peta was brutally mauled by a dog at an off-leash park. Picture: Pine Rivers Press

“We are absolutely heartbroken and filled with anger,” the organisation wrote.

“Baby Peta’s lifeless body was found on the footpath with a seriously injured Jatz in a tree nearby. ‘

“We understand accidents happen but what you do next is what matters and leaving a koala to die like that is just horrible.

“PLEASE keep your dogs on a leash and if they do come across a koala, call us on 0401 803 333 ASAP.”

Mayor Peter Flannery, however, blamed the “irresponsible” dog owners, not the dog.

“I don’t blame the dog, I blame the dog’s owner,” Mr Flannery told Quest News.

“It is the responsibility of pet owners to maintain effective control of their animal and it’s crucial that we do everything we can to prevent dog attacks on native and endangered species.

“As a council it’s devastating to be achieving such great success in growing our koala population, regrowing habitat areas and building important infrastructure to keep them safe – only for koalas to die in dog attacks.”

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Jatz and her baby Peta. Picture: Moreton Bay Koala Rescue

Jatz was left “seriously injured”, while Peta was killed by the dog. Picture: Julie Adil/Pine Rivers Press

Located next to a wildlife corridor, the dog park has been in place for more than 40 years, with lobbyists long calling for the spot to be relocated.

“There is no fencing around this space and koalas, wallabies, echidnas and much more wildlife roam into this space. Both koalas and wallabies have been attacked and killed by dogs yearly,” petition creator Elizabeth Stenson wrote.

“Due to it not having a fence, dogs regularly run out of the space and run at people walking the track and there has been numerous dog attacks due to this.”

Stenson started the petition – which warns of attacks of exactly this nature – last year, but as a result of Peta’s graphic death has taken off again.

Last November, the Moreton Bay Council said it would establish a new dog park in nearby Leis Park – but refused to close the Sweeney Reserve area.

Now, close to eight months later, the council says it will close the park.

“Without question, this decision will save koala lives,” a spokeswoman from the Save Our Community Warner group told Quest.

“That it took a little baby koala to die is pretty hardcore, there is no question.

“We are extremely sad this decision didn’t happen earlier.

“We hope that council will be more open to koala rescue teams in the future when they plead for something to be done when something clearly isn’t right. Someone should have listened.”