Shauna Mounsey calls for tighter regulations around Top End dog ownership

A Darwin woman has made a desperate plea for stricter dog ownership laws after her toddler was mauled by a rottweiler.

A DARWIN mother and lawyer is calling for tighter regulations around dog ownership after her 21-month-old son was mauled.

Darwin local Shauna Mounsey and her toddler Lloyd Jayathilaka were at a cafe, which the NT News has chosen not to name, when a rottweiler at a nearby table unexpectedly launched itself at Lloyd and bit his right arm.

The puncture wounds ­required treatment at the Royal Darwin Hospital.

As a result of the “traumatic” incident, Ms Mounsey is now calling for tighter laws around the control of dogs.

She said her aim was not to “demonise” certain dog breeds but to shed light on how complacent society had become with dogs and where they were allowed to go.

“Simple measures like ­requesting owners have a muzzle on their dogs and seat them in a designated dog area when at a cafe, are a minor ­inconvenience that would significantly reduce the risk of a serious attack,” Ms Mounsey said.

Shauna Mounsey with her son Lloyd Jayathilaka who was attacked by an unrestrained dog in the Botanical Gardens. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“When something like this happens it is a lose-lose situation. My child has been seriously injured and a much-loved family pet is going to be put down due to one ­mistake.”

As of April 27, there have been 83 presentations of ­patients with dog bites this year to the Royal Darwin Hospital.

One of the most recent was in Palmerston, in which a 60-year-old woman lost an arm.

Ms Mounsey said at the time of her son’s incident, the dog’s owner said it was out of character for their beloved pet but advised the dog would be put down.

Darwin local Shauna Mounsey's toddler Lloyd Jayathilaka in the Royal Darwin Hospital after he was mauled by a dog in a Top End cafe. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Mounsey said it was unfair to expect dogs to ­behave impeccably at all times, particularly in public.

“I don’t think any owner who brings their dog to a cafe would ever imagine that something like this could happen,” she said.

“But when it comes to owning a dog, there is no room for complacency.

“Any dog could have a bad day or be triggered and con­sequently attack a child.

“We are just lucky it wasn’t fatal.”

As a lawyer, Ms Mounsey recommends cafes think twice about letting dogs on their premises.

“Cafe owners should be careful if their public liability insurance doesn’t cover dog ­attacks then the business will be personally liable for any compensation claim,” she said.

“We have really out of date dog attack by-laws … so in the absence of legislation, it’s up to the community to work ­together to keep our pet dogs and our children safe.”

A spokesman for City of Darwin confirmed the incident was under investigation.

The NT News tried to contact the cafe for comment. It did not respond to requests.