A RESIDENT has called for tougher policing of dog owners by council after his small pet was almost killed by an unrestrained rottweiler.
Ormiston man Gavin Druitt said his 14-year-old Jack Russell fox terrier cross Bindy was shaken like a rag doll by an out-of-control rottweiler on an Ormiston pathway in August.
At the time, Mr Druitt and his partner Anne Lee-Archer thought she would die, with Bindy’s torso bruised and punctured so badly, surgery was required.
The dog had broken free from its leash to attack Bindy, prompting concerned motorists then travelling along Delancey Street to stop and offer Ms Lee-Archer help.
Mr Druitt said the rottweiler might attack again if not properly restrained, saying the dog needed to be muzzled when out to prevent it from hurting animals and people.
Mr Druitt said he was surprised with Redland City Council’s low key response.
Instead of declaring the dog as menacing or dangerous, thereby requiring it to be muzzled when out, council told Mr Druitt they had decided to write to the rottweiler’s owner warning them regulated dog status could be applied if more aggressive behaviour was reported.
Council had also decided to issue a warning to the dog’s keeper about effective control.
“I am flabbergasted,” Mr Druitt said.
“It does not meet what councillors have been saying.”
Earlier this year, council said it was stepping up compliance after a spate of dog attacks on pets and people.
It came after an 11-year-old boy was attacked at Thornlands as he walked through a park.
That followed off-leash dogs attacking on-leash dogs in the Scribbly Gums Conservation Reserve off Nanette Court at Alexandra Hills.
In a letter to Mr Druitt, council’s animal management team acknowledged the attack had been traumatic for him, Ms Lee-Archer and Bindy.
“Council's objective is to reduce the risk to the community and (we) believe that by imposing the decision… will contribute to achieving this outcome.”
The number of reports made to council about dog attacks or dogs acting aggressively rose by 13 per cent in the year to June 30.
Division one councillor Wendy Boglary said more compliance officers were needed to tackle the growing problem.
A council spokesperson said the original decision to issue a warning to the rottweiler’s owner was being reviewed.
Mr Duitt, who describes himself as an animal lover, said he believed council could do more to encourage pet responsible ownership, like lowering registration fees.
He said compliance could be easier to enforce if dogs reported for aggressive behaviour were registered to an owner.
