A MANLY couple has received council support in urging dog owners to be responsible and restrain their pets in public following a savage dog attack.
Manly resident Cheryl Willis was walking her dog Buddy along Stratton Tce when an unsupervised dog outside the Manly Hotel, believed to be an Irish wolfhound, allegedly crossed the road to attack her dog.
Buddy, a Maltese shih tzu, was taken to the vet but euthanised due to the severity of the injuries.
Ms Willis’s partner Graham Brown said those who witnessed the incident were left distraught and shocked by the attack.
“It was quite vicious. He got Buddy around the neck and then the stomach and was shaking our dog around like a rag doll,” Mr Brown said.
“There was no owner in sight. They managed to get the dog off and it wandered off as if nothing happened.”
Ms Willis was on her own when she was walking Buddy and thanked onlookers who stepped in to help her.
“I was so scared to get the dog off because I thought he was going to attack me,” she said.
“I was so frightened myself and I just started screaming and people came over and managed to get the dog off Buddy.
“It was horrible. I was not expecting to not bring my dog home that night.
“He was 13 years old; he was a rescue dog. He’s been my companion for 12 years. He didn’t deserve to die like this.”
The attack happened about 4.30pm on September 3 and the couple made a complaint to Brisbane City Council the next day.
Council sent a Rapid Response officer who spoke to the couple and referred the matter to the Council’s Animal Management team.
Mr Brown said a witness came forward to them who allegedly identified the other dog owner and there was CCTV footage of the incident, but accused the Council of being slow to act. He said the public had reacted strongly on social media after attack.
“People are outraged and wanting Council to do something about this. I am trying to get Council to act,” he said.
“We can’t bring our dog back. This is about this dog attacking another dog or a child. We don’t want this to happen again.”
Council’s Customer Services Chair Sarah Hutton said animal attacks were upsetting and concerning, and any report was investigated as a high priority.
“The loss of a beloved pet in this incident is absolutely heartbreaking, and we understand how distressing this would be for the owner,” Cr Hutton said.
“Community safety is always a top priority which is why it’s incredibly important all pet owners are responsible.
“With more than 106,000 registered dogs across Brisbane, the vast majority of owners do the right thing, but we need every person to look after their pet responsibly.”
