Darwin, Palmerston, Litchfield councils in support of uniform by-laws to prevent dog attacks

DARWIN, Palmerston and Litchfield councils are considering introducing uniform regulations around dog management, as community anger continues to grow over the handling of dog attacks

• Rural area residents call for dangerous dogs to be more regulated, as community anger grows over recent dog attacks
• Beloved family pet mauled to death in horrific attack in Darwin rural area

DARWIN, Palmerston and Litchfield councils are considering introducing uniform regulations around dog management, as community anger continues to grow over the handling of dog attacks.

The three councils have saidthey support adopting uniform policies on animal management issues, especially regarding dogs.

Currently local governments are responsible for setting their own by-laws.

The councils have recently raised the idea at the Top End Regional Organisation of Councils (TOPROC).

City of Palmerston Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell said she had also spoken to Local Government Minister Chansey Paech about the NT government potentially introducing legislation on the issue.

It comes as residents whose pets or loved ones have been mauled by dogs call for stronger council by-laws to prevent people and animals from being attacked.

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Ms Pascoe-Bell said there needed to be consistency across different council areas, especially in the Top End municipal area, so residents had certainty around what to expect

“There are some gaps in allowing councils to manage their own by-laws, and there is an opportunity to have overarching legislation that deals with some aspects of animal management,” she said.

Kym Nixon's five-year-old rottweiler Rogue was badly injured when she was attacked by a hunting dog in Girraween several weeks ago. Picture: Supplied

Local Government Association of the NT (LGANT) chief executive Sean Holden said the association would be open to facilitating uniform by-laws if member councils requested that.

Girraween resident and licensed rottweiler breeder Kym Nixon said she had been impacted by a dog attack just a few weeks ago, when one of her animals, Rogue, was attacked by a hunting dog that partially got through a perimeter fence.

Ms Nixon said Rogue had sustained multiple injuries and had her shoulder “ripped to pieces” in the attack, and had to have emergency surgery.

“Our dog will never get over that trauma of being attacked, and this is a dog that has never attacked or bitten anyone,” she said.

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“It’s just heartbreaking to see it happen all the time. It shouldn’t happen.

”If someone wants to have dogs, they’ve got to be responsible for them.”

Concerned rural area residents are meeting to discuss dog attacks at the electorate office of Nelson MLA Gerard Maley on Tuesday at 5.30pm.

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