Western Downs dogs attacking anything that moves as child, cherished pet targeted

Unrestrained Western Downs dogs are wreaking havoc, with most recently a child and the dog of an elderly woman subjected to terrifying run-ins with unrestrained animals, and they are not alone.

Unrestrained Western Downs dogs are attacking anything that moves, most recently an elderly woman's dog and child were attacked in the Tara District. Picture: Contributed

A distraught elderly woman whose home was rampaged by a vicious dog known to the council is just the being of the growing problem of uncontrolled domestic dogs across the district.

Earlier in the year wild and domestic dogs were slaughtering livestock in record numbers, and although there’s been a dint in feral attacks, unchecked domestic dogs continue to hunt anything that moves.

A Western Downs property caretaker is urging owners to control their dogs, with domestic dogs teaming up to slaughter livestock at rapid pace. Just one producer has lost $14,000 worth of livestock in three months. Picture: Contributed

Western Downs property caretaker James Shreeve oversees nine stock properties in the Tara district and said it wouldn’t be long until someone was seriously injured in a dog attack.

The caretaker said at the end of August his 11-year-old daughter was ‘rounded up’ by someone’s dog at their Tara property.

“It was just lucky it was a Saturday and I was home to protect her,” he said.

“I don’t know what would’ve happened if it was a school morning.”

Mr Shreeve said he heard his daughter screaming for help from their front yard and ran to her aid.

“She ended up running inside and slamming the door, locking me outside with the dog,” he said.

After being chased by the dog himself, Mr Shreeve said he was forced to shoot the collared pet.

On Monday, September 14, a Goranba woman’s dog was seriously injured after a vicious dog known to council tore through her home and dog.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said officers were called to the property at 2.20pm Monday after the woman, aged in her 80s, called triple-0 for help.

The woman was physically unharmed but had to be treated for shock on scene.

An elderly Goranba woman was faced with a terrifying situation after a vicious dog charged into her rural Goranba home east of Tara on the Western Downs. Picture: Google Maps

A Western Downs Regional Council said the incident was being investigated.

Working all over Australia for three decades, Mr Shreeve said he’d never seen so many wild and domestic dog attacks in his entire career at the start of 2021 in the Tara District.

By September, Mr Shreeve said baiting had decreased wild dogs but pet owners were still allowing violent dogs to roam free.

“I’ve shot about 12 in the past two months,” he said.

“They aren’t being restrained; they really just don’t care.

“Council need to step up and help with numbers, some of these owners have over seven dogs.”

Mr Shreeve said the key to reducing domestic dog related attacks is education.

The Western Downs Regional Council has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Western Downs dogs attacking anything that moves as child, cherished pet targeted