AUSTRALIA -- THE dog that savagely mauled six-year-old Zane Watkins in a residential Buddina street has been returned to its owner.Zane's mother, Jo, remains determined that the dog which “nearly killed Zane” on June 18 be destroyed.
Mrs Watkins said she would fight the state law which required the council to give the dog another chance.
“The council told me under state law they had no choice but to give the dog back to its owner,'' she said.
“The owner could decide to have the dog destroyed, but the council couldn't.”
A council spokeswoman said the dog was being housed by the owner in a “commercial kennel” and the investigation into the attack was continuing.
“Under the Animal Management Act, while the investigation takes place, if the owner provides a secure containment arrangement council must release the dog to the owner,” the spokeswoman said.
“The Act does not give council the option to destroy the dog unless the owner surrenders the dog to council.”
While Mrs Watkins was relieved that the dog was not staying near their home on Dalpura Street, she would not be satisfied until it was destroyed.
“I can't have closure until the dog is gone. I promised Zane he would never see that dog again and I will fight to ensure this happens.
“I'm not just worried about him, I've got friends all over the Sunshine Coast and I want to ensure they don't have to go through what we had to go through.”
Mrs Watkins said she would also sue the dog owner, Peter Perreaux, who is employed as a civil designer by the Sunshine Coast Council.
“If he'd destroyed the dog I would probably have left it,” she said.
Zane was fetching a stray Nerf gun bullet in the street when the dog attacked him, biting through his left foot and then mauling his face as he screamed for help.
Mrs Watkins said staff at Nambour General Hospital said that if a neighbour had not pulled the dog off Zane he would have been killed.
She said Zane still could not walk properly and she had had to buy a special cream to help with the scarring on his face, as well as take time off work to be with Zane.
“He has to go for counselling. Ever since this happened he has slept in our bed,” Mrs Watkins said.
The council spokeswoman said the investigation would determine whether the dog should be declared dangerous or menacing in accordance with the Animal Management Act and would take further action as required.
Mr Perreaux could not be reached for comment.
(Sunshine Coast Daily - July 7, 2011)
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