‘Ambushed or provoked’ dog owner defends cat-killer family pet

A Brisbane woman has lost a long-running fight to stop her dog being declared “dangerous” after he killed two cats on the streets of inner-Brisbane, claiming he did not attack them without cause.

The rescue Greyhound named Budd

A Brisbane woman has lost her long-running fight to stop her dog being declared “dangerous” after he killed two cats, claiming her dog was either ambushed or provoked by the cats and was acting in self-defence.

Lisa Dalgliesh told the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal that Budd, a five-and-a-half year-old rescued ex-racing greyhound she adopted from Broken Hill pound in NSW in 2021 is now a family pet.

“Budd is no longer a savage greyhound racer, he is a domesticated and cultivated, family pet,” Ms Dalgliesh told the tribunal.

She walks Budd every day and avoids cats.

The rescue Greyhound named Budd

She asked the tribunal to set aside the Brisbane City Council’s dangerous dog declaration and in return she would agree to muzzle Budd when in public, a request the tribunal declined.

She told the tribunal both incidents with cats were “a tragic outcome of provocation or ambush, not attack”.

Budd was declared a dangerous dog by the council on June 7, 2023 after he attacked a cat named Coco on Old Cleveland Rd, Stones Corner, on August 15, 2022.

Coco was taken to a local animal emergency centre for treatment and pronounced dead.

Eight months later the council received a second report that in April 2023 Budd attacked another cat named Mickey on Bardsley Ave, Greenslopes, and Mickey was later euthanised by a vet.

Ms Dalgliesh told council officers in a recorded interview that “Budd picked Mickey up by the face”, the QCAT decision published on January 8 states.

On both occasions, Ms Dalgliesh told the tribunal Budd was the first “provoked” or attacked. Ms Dalgliesh swears, Coco had been “hiding”, or was otherwise out of sight, in thick bushes, and chose to run out.

She claims Coco “ran straight into Budd, who was startled by what he might reasonably have thought, was an attack, or possibly an attack, on him.”

In relation to the second incident, Ms Dalgliesh swears, she was crouched patting a dog named Oscar at Bardsley Ave, Greenslopes, and Budd was standing behind her on a leash and pulled her over.

Ms Dalgliesh then pulled Budd away from Mickey.

The badly injured cat ran under a car and Ms Dalgliesh took Mickey’s owner and Mickey to a vet where he was euthanised.

“Ms Dalgliesh speculates Mickey ran up to Budd or jumped into his face from a brick fence,” QCAT member Hugh Scott-Mackenzie stated in his decision confirming the council ruling.

The council submitted there is no evidence for the tribunal to conclude Coco attacked Budd or that Mickey attacked Budd.

Ms Dagliesh’s barrister submitted that Budd was “ambushed” by Coco, referring to the evidence of Coco’s owner that Coco had “taken dogs on”.

Mr Scott-Mackenzie concluded there was no direct evidence Coco attacked Budd.

“At its highest, Ms Dalgliesh speculates Budd thought he was being attacked, or possibly attacked, by Coco,” Mr Scott-Mackenzie wrote in his decision.

“I am satisfied … Budd attacked Coco,” he concluded.

“It is clear Budd attacked Mickey,” he wrote.

“There is no evidence Budd was provoked by either Coco or Mickey or acted in self-defence,” Mr Scott-Mackenzie ruled.

As a declared dangerous dog Budd must be registered with council and wear a distinctive collar with a yellow and red striped pattern and wear a muzzle when out in public.

At home Budd must be kept in a council-approved enclosure with a sign near each entrance and he must live at his registered address, with council told if he moves.

Originally published as ‘Ambushed or provoked’ dog owner defends cat-killer family pet