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Dog Attack In Canberra


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The new Canberra Times article makes it sound like there are dogs roaming all around attacking people everyday. Not saying that roaming dogs are not a problem!! I've been lucky enough to never have to bump into an agressive roaming dog, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. But the data in the new Canberra Times article quotes research by Dr Cam Day which is actually the research done by Flinders University. http://www.nisu.flinders.edu.au/pubs/shortreps/canines.html

A lot of the bites are from owners breaking up dog fights, and the majority occur in the owner's own home.

The article is written in a very sensationalist way.

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The new Canberra Times article makes it sound like there are dogs roaming all around attacking people everyday. Not saying that roaming dogs are not a problem!! I've been lucky enough to never have to bump into an agressive roaming dog, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. But the data in the new Canberra Times article quotes research by Dr Cam Day which is actually the research done by Flinders University. http://www.nisu.flinders.edu.au/pubs/shortreps/canines.html

A lot of the bites are from owners breaking up dog fights, and the majority occur in the owner's own home.

The article is written in a very sensationalist way.

How do you know and why are dogs fighting in their own homes? My dogs have never had a fight amongst themselves.

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I have owned multiple dogs for many years and I have never had a fight. Until recently I had three and there were no fights. I now have two bitches and the old girl is the boss although the youngster can be cheeky. I guess I respect the pecking order and insist on polite behaviour around mealtime. They eat from their own bowls and I remove them when they are finished. I don't feed big bones, only chicken wings, so nothing is left to be buried. I don't think I could live with dogs who were likely to fight. I talk to my dogs a lot and I think they believe they are not dogs but people because they always listen to me. :)

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I've put my small dog in a bin before. She was reactive at the time, so I was constantly scanning surroundings. Saw a large dog running free up a drive towards us and so I had time to grab her and drop her in a bin up a drive (luckily a there was a bin up an ungated drive and I didn't get shouted at for trespassing.

Judging by the dogs body language and the fact the owner didn't even want to touch its collar to take it home I think I made the right choice.

I have never thought about putting a dog in a bin but I have thought about putting them on top of a bin or even up in the fork of a tree.

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Personally if i had a situation where 2 dogs were fighting (and not over something simple like food or toys that i could manage), i'd consider that they didn't actually get on and should be separated. It's no way to live.

I have multiple dogs who live in harmony. Over the years many dogs have come and gone as i rescue old dogs. If any dog has come in and shown aggression to any of them, they are moved on very quickly. That can be after they feel settled, not just at the start.

Edited by Her Majesty Dogmad
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I've put my small dog in a bin before. She was reactive at the time, so I was constantly scanning surroundings. Saw a large dog running free up a drive towards us and so I had time to grab her and drop her in a bin up a drive (luckily a there was a bin up an ungated drive and I didn't get shouted at for trespassing.

Judging by the dogs body language and the fact the owner didn't even want to touch its collar to take it home I think I made the right choice.

I have never thought about putting a dog in a bin but I have thought about putting them on top of a bin or even up in the fork of a tree.

It wasn't ideal, and I was lucky in lots of ways (the bin wasn't full, nothing dangerous in bin). I don't want to say the dogs breed, but it was very large and would have been able to get her from the top of the bin. Also she was so reactive she would have acted a fool and been trying to get off the bin.

The ideal thing is to drop them into a fenced yard, but who knows whether that house has a dog?! So hard.

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An update on what happened to these dogs. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/calls-for-greater-transparency-from-das-after-victims-not-informed-of-animals-release-20160113-gm4tad.html

The mother of a young woman who was attacked by two strange dogs in her own living room has criticised Domestic Animal Services' decision to return the animals to their owner without informing her family.

Brenda Goldstraw found out on Christmas Day the dogs which killed her chihuahua Jiminy and mauled her daughter Isabelle's hand had been surreptitiously returned to their owner after being declared dangerous.

The animals allegedly broke into the living room of the Goldstraws' Canberra home through a locked screen door in late November after escaping from their own yard.

But it wasn't DAS who informed her of the developments in the case.

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"We had to find out via a third party. I'd even been talking to DAS the week before, we've tried to keep in contact with them as much as possible from our side, so ... on January 5 I contacted [them]," Ms Goldstraw said.

It took a few days, but the organisation confirmed to Ms Goldstraw that the animals had indeed been declared dangerous and returned to their owner.

Her issue doesn't lie in the outcome but rather in the lack of transparency and communication.

"Apparently we're supposed to have been sent documentation regarding the decision but we haven't received any of that to date," Ms Goldstraw said.

She said she has been unable to find out if the owner was fined or what conditions the dogs will be held to as she has been told the investigation is ongoing.

"We wanted to let natural justice and the proper process go ahead without jumping up and down but now that we've gotten to here, we're just quite angry now.

"I don't want other people's dogs put down but the reality is they broke into our house, killed our dog and injured our daughter."

DAS registrar Fleur Flanery​ said that under the Domestic Animals Act, the registrar has "no powers to euthanise any dog".

"The reason they would be euthanised would be if the owner can't reach the conditions that are set, or if the magistrate – but not the registrar – deems those dogs to be used as weapons or as dangerous."

Among the conditions placed on the dangerous dogs were that they are muzzled, supervised by an adult and kept in an inescapable closure when unsupervised.

They must wear dangerous-dog collars, always be walked on a leash, and not enter dog parks. Dangerous-dog signs have been put outside the house.

But Ms Flanery admitted that the "standard procedure" of advising all parties of the dogs' release "wasn't followed".

"It's not really an excuse, but I think that the Christmas period was there, the letters were prepared and the dots just weren't joined for them to be distributed," she said.

"The communication slipped through, but the safety checks and balances were made."

She said the owners could choose to appeal the decision.

The same dogs which killed Jiminy are also believed to have jumped into a locked backyard to slaughter Amanda Mitchener's chihuahua Saphie a day earlier.

The aftermath of the attack was witnessed by Ms Mitchener's 12-year-old neighbour.

Ms Mitchener said DAS also failed to contact her about the investigation's outcome.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/calls-for-greater-transparency-from-das-after-victims-not-informed-of-animals-release-20160113-gm4tad.html#ixzz3zqokTsqt

Follow us: @canberratimes on Twitter | CanberraTimes on Facebook

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An update on what happened to these dogs. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/calls-for-greater-transparency-from-das-after-victims-not-informed-of-animals-release-20160113-gm4tad.html

The mother of a young woman who was attacked by two strange dogs in her own living room has criticised Domestic Animal Services' decision to return the animals to their owner without informing her family.

Brenda Goldstraw found out on Christmas Day the dogs which killed her chihuahua Jiminy and mauled her daughter Isabelle's hand had been surreptitiously returned to their owner after being declared dangerous.

The animals allegedly broke into the living room of the Goldstraws' Canberra home through a locked screen door in late November after escaping from their own yard.

But it wasn't DAS who informed her of the developments in the case.

Advertisement

"We had to find out via a third party. I'd even been talking to DAS the week before, we've tried to keep in contact with them as much as possible from our side, so ... on January 5 I contacted [them]," Ms Goldstraw said.

It took a few days, but the organisation confirmed to Ms Goldstraw that the animals had indeed been declared dangerous and returned to their owner.

Her issue doesn't lie in the outcome but rather in the lack of transparency and communication.

"Apparently we're supposed to have been sent documentation regarding the decision but we haven't received any of that to date," Ms Goldstraw said.

She said she has been unable to find out if the owner was fined or what conditions the dogs will be held to as she has been told the investigation is ongoing.

"We wanted to let natural justice and the proper process go ahead without jumping up and down but now that we've gotten to here, we're just quite angry now.

"I don't want other people's dogs put down but the reality is they broke into our house, killed our dog and injured our daughter."

DAS registrar Fleur Flanery​ said that under the Domestic Animals Act, the registrar has "no powers to euthanise any dog".

"The reason they would be euthanised would be if the owner can't reach the conditions that are set, or if the magistrate – but not the registrar – deems those dogs to be used as weapons or as dangerous."

Among the conditions placed on the dangerous dogs were that they are muzzled, supervised by an adult and kept in an inescapable closure when unsupervised.

They must wear dangerous-dog collars, always be walked on a leash, and not enter dog parks. Dangerous-dog signs have been put outside the house.

But Ms Flanery admitted that the "standard procedure" of advising all parties of the dogs' release "wasn't followed".

"It's not really an excuse, but I think that the Christmas period was there, the letters were prepared and the dots just weren't joined for them to be distributed," she said.

"The communication slipped through, but the safety checks and balances were made."

She said the owners could choose to appeal the decision.

The same dogs which killed Jiminy are also believed to have jumped into a locked backyard to slaughter Amanda Mitchener's chihuahua Saphie a day earlier.

The aftermath of the attack was witnessed by Ms Mitchener's 12-year-old neighbour.

Ms Mitchener said DAS also failed to contact her about the investigation's outcome.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/calls-for-greater-transparency-from-das-after-victims-not-informed-of-animals-release-20160113-gm4tad.html#ixzz3zqokTsqt

Follow us: @canberratimes on Twitter | CanberraTimes on Facebook

What gets me is that the majority of owners of loose attacking dogs couldn't give a s*it about the animals UNTIL they come to the attention of the authorities. Then suddenly they are the beloved family pet. The fact is that society is better off without canine loose cannons. Humanely euthanising them is the best outcome for all.

Edited by Mum to Emma
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I wonder if those dogs that were returned to their owner were desexed or is that another law which is too difficult to enforce and is ignored?

At the time they were surrendered at least the white male dog was not desexed, but the brindle female one was.

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I was so sure those dogs wouldn't have a chance of ever leaving DAS (alive) eek1.gifeek1.gif

Sorry, but these dogs clearly like to escape and stories of dogs (especially those with strong jaws such as those dogs) biting through enclosures and they clearly can't be trusted inside a house if they want to break in (or out!).

WHY are these dogs allowed to go back home and there's that lady on here with her dog who merely bit someone on a walk (after getting a fright, with no other history) and has been stuck in limbo for how long now??

And clearly the owners are irresponsible as F... because the male is entire.

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