Hero support dog protects owner in brutal Ipswich dog attack

An Ipswich man has spoken out about the bravery of his support dog after it was injured while trying to protect him from another dog. But he is heartbroken after having to surrender his protector.

An Ipswich dog owner has shared his heartbreak at being forced to surrender his beloved support dog after it was badly injured protecting him in a dog attack a week ago.

Leichhardt resident Shane Stein’s morning walk with his beloved companion Scooby on Sunday (January 22) went badly wrong when he said he was attacked by another dog.

Mr Stein walks Scooby to the local shops every morning while riding his mobility scooter, which he has needed since being hit by a car in 2015.

The pair love to wave at residents on their walk and use it to also visit Scooby’s best fur friend Trigger, who often waits at his fence for them.

But Mr Stein said the walk on Sunday quickly went bad after he heard a woman scream “get inside”.

He turned to see a dog “flying out” towards him and Scooby jumped over his mobility scooter to protect him.

Mr Stein said the other dog latched on to Scooby’s throat so forcibly it snapped his collar.

He struggled to pry the two apart but the other dog latched on to his arm.

“When the dog let go of me, blood started squirting in the air,’’ he said.

“I started feeling faint, I was screaming.”

He said he tried to use Scooby’s collar to make a tourniquet for his arm before some neighbours came out to help.

Mr Stein said the owner of the other dog “tried her best” throughout the attack to control her pet.

“In the end, she shouldn’t have had that dog there,” he claimed.

Mr Stein told bystanders to make sure Scooby was okay before he was transported to hospital.

Michael Stein and his beloved companion Scooby. Picture: Michael Stein

While still in hospital, he received a call from the RSPCA asking whether he wanted to surrender Scooby for treatment for his wounds.

The RSPCA also asked if he instead wanted to pay for a vet.

“I said I can’t make this decision, I have to go home,” he said.

He discharged himself, after booking an appointment for surgery to his wounds, so he could return home immediately to Scooby.

But later, after realising how much pain Scooby was suffering, he made the heartbreaking decision to surrender him “out of love”.

“I love him and I need him to get better,” he said.

Mr Stein said it was initially suggested to him that Scooby was dangerous, as he had retaliated, but he claimed CCTV footage showed the other dog that initiated the conflict.

“I am disabled and he is my companion animal – and you plainly see he is not in the wrong, he is on a lead,” he said.

Mr Stein said he did not know what happened to the other dog but was prepared to forgive its actions, saying “every animal deserves a second chance”.

He said it had been challenging being separated from Scooby for the past week and he was “missing him like crazy”.

“I come home to his water bowl, his bed, his blood on the ground,’’ he said.

Mr Stein had owned Scooby for about eight months before the incident, rescuing him when he was just a few months old from a hunting family.

Beloved companion Scooby, who has been recovering from a dog attack with the RSPCA. Picture: Supplied/RSPCA

The two bonded over their morning rituals and Mr Stein pampering Scooby with presents.

He was determined to bring his beloved companion home as soon as he was better.

Mr Stein said a post he put on Facebook about his situation “blew up” and the Leichhardt community rallied to his support.

He also thanked the RSPCA for its support. They even sent him a photo of Scooby to comfort him while he was in hospital.

After several discussions with the RSPCA he agreed to have Scooby desexed and was told Scooby could return to his care this week.

“I just want my life back in order,” he said. “I miss my boy, I really do.”

Originally published as Hero support dog protects owner in brutal Ipswich dog attack