Australia: Eight-week-old puppy has to be put down - after being cruelly beaten, burned and then left to die in a park

AUSTRALIA -- An eight-week-old puppy left for dead in Melbourne after being bashed and burned has been put down.

The Kelpie mix puppy was found by in Truganina Park in Altona Meadows a passer-by about 7pm last night.

She was rushed to Animal Accident and Emergency (AEE) in Point Cook, and was euthanized this morning due to its horrific injuries.

“The extent of her injuries had already damaged her internal organs and would have affected her future growth,” RSPCA Victoria Senior Inspector Daniel Bode said.

The RSPCA believes the puppy had been beaten several days before she was dumped.

“Her mouth was swollen and possibly fractured before she was burned and left for dead in the park,” Mr Bode said.

“Clearly it is the intention of the offender or offenders to not only cause the death of this puppy, but to inflict pain and suffering as well.”

The RSPCA has launched an investigation and Hobsons Bay Council is assisting.

People convicted of animal cruelty offences can face fines of up to $75,600 and up to two years in prison.

More than 1300 reports of animal cruelty have been examined by RSPCA Victoria in the past financial year.

Anyone with information is urged to contact RSPCA Victoria Insepectorate on 9224 2222.

(9News AU - Nov 11, 2016)

Two pit bulls attack, kill family pet near Spokane's Chase Middle School

WASHINGTON -- The Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service is investigating a deadly attack by two pit bulls on another dog near Chase Middle School.

Spokesman-Review photographer Dan Pelle was walking Koko, his 11-year-old Australian Kelpie-spaniel mix, in an open field near his South Hill home on Thursday. The field is near 32nd Avenue and Havana Street, just a couple of blocks northwest of Chase Middle School.

Pelle has walked Koko off-leash in that field for 10 years and said he knows many other neighbors who do the same with their dogs. At 2:20 p.m., Pelle saw two teenagers with two fawn-colored pit bulls he didn’t recognize standing about 30 yards away, he said.

“You see these other dogs and you know who they are,” Pelle said. “We’ve never seen those dogs or those kids before.”

One of the dogs began running toward Koko, followed by the other. Pelle called for Koko, who was just a few feet away from him, but couldn’t stop the dogs from attacking her.

“I didn’t see the kids, but they heard me and immediately they started yelling for their dogs to come back, like they knew they were aggressive,” Pelle said. “The first dog approached and sniffed her once then just hit her down.”

Pelle tried to beat the pit bulls off Koko with his walking stick, while the two teenagers tried to pull them off.

“The dogs aren’t letting go,” he said. “I’m beating them as hard as I can, and I get down on my knees, I shove my stick in one of the dogs’ mouth.”

Pelle knocked one pit bull off, but the dog tackled him to the ground and pinned him, hurting his hand, ankle and back. One of the teenagers shoved the dog off him, and they were able to hold the dogs back while Pelle and Koko ran away.

“We ran for our lives to get out of there,” Pelle said, adding that one of the boys was crying and screaming for them to run away.

Koko had injuries to her neck, chest and back legs, Pelle said. The whole attack lasted about two minutes.

“They had ripped her right open,” Pelle said.

Koko had to be euthanized by veterinarian Steven Rush, of South Grand Veterinary Clinic, after the attack. Rush said the dog was one of the most severely injured he’d ever seen.

“She was just literally getting pulled apart,” Rush said.

The two pit bulls could be deemed dangerous and subject to vicious-animal laws, but without interviewing the teenagers SCRAPS can’t determine what violations occurred, said SCRAPS Director Nancy Hill.

“The bottom line of the story is I know it’s tempting, but people need to keep their dog on a leash,” Hill said, adding that county law requires dogs to be leashed when walked in public.

SCRAPS is unaware of dangerous pit bulls or other dog attacks in that area, Hill said. Pelle said the two boys appeared to be high school age. One was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, and the other was dressed in brightly colored clothing.

Anyone with information about the dogs or the attack can call the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service at  (509) 477-2532  .
(Spokesman Review - Dec 14, 2013)

Pit bull attack shocks Leura neighbourhood

AUSTRALIA -- A vicious attack by a pit bull on the loose on the streets of Leura last week left a much-loved family pet requiring emergency surgery and the four-legged victim’s owners worried that small children could be the target next time.

Bridget Jackson told the Gazette the unprovoked attack happened when her husband was taking their nine-year-old kelpie Tashi on an early evening walk along Queens Road on October 8.

“It was absolutely horrific,” Mrs Jackson said.

“Tashi is a real softie and while some dogs may have been able to run away, being an older dog she just cowered.

“I don’t know where the pit bull came from ... Luckily Nina, from the Katoomba vet on Waratah Street, managed to operate on Tashi immediately and piece her back together.

“She required a follow-up operation on Monday morning and has been allowed to come home.”

Mrs Jackson said she contacted the council and Blue Mountains Police about the attack by the pit bull, which is a ‘restricted’ breed of dog under NSW law and due to the violent incident is now considered a ‘dangerous’ dog under the relevant state legislation.

“The police said they are going to investigate, which is a relief. My biggest concern is what if small children would have been around when the pit bull attacked,” she said.

“If it had been a child, there’s no way it would have survived.

“We’ve been living in the Blue Mountains for many years and in Leura for the last three and we’ve never felt threatened.

“But we’re always going to be concerned from now on, not only for our dog but for children.”

A woman suffered bites to her arm following another dog attack in Glenbrook last week.

The woman was doing an early morning exercise routine outdoors at about 6.45am on October 10 when she was bitten by a dog described as being of similar appearance to a labrador or a golden retriever, police said.

She sustained a puncture wound on her arm which required medical treatment.

A man aged in his 50s is believed to be the owner of the dog.

Police investigations into this incident are continuing.

(Blue Mountains Gazette - Oct 15, 2013)

Family split after prized working dog mauls owner's niece

AUSTRALIA -- A PRIZED working dog has mauled his owner's six-year-old niece, leaving her scarred for life.

The traumatic incident has divided the girl's family as they fight over whether the award-winning kelpie should be put down.

Moorabool Shire Council is investigating the attack, but more than a month after Christine Oliver was injured, no action has been taken against her uncle Tony Wilson's dog Mack.

Christine was set upon by Mack in late June at a Balliang East property where Mr Wilson lives with his parents.

Just a fortnight before, Mack won the prestigious King of the Kelpies triathlon at the Australian Kelpie Muster in Casterton.

Mack also came third in the kelpie dash and second in the high jump, having won a string of similar titles in recent years.

Since the attack, Christine has made weekly visits to the Royal Children's Hospital where she has had reconstructive microsurgery to repair her face.

She could also face years of dental issues after her front tooth came out.

Christine's father, Trevor Oliver, is furious there have been no consequences for the dog. "I want this dog destroyed and I don't care how good he is. He shouldn't be on this earth because he bit the kid."

Under Victoria's Domestic Animals Act, a dog which attacks may be seized and put down immediately, or impounded while the matter is investigated.

But Moorabool Shire chief executive Rob Croxford said the council was "closely monitoring the situation" and "preparing a brief on legally enforceable and appropriate action ... to resolve the complaint".

Mr Oliver, who is Mr Wilson's brother-in-law, said he did not blame his in-laws for the incident.
He said the attack was surprising because Christine and Mack had "grown up together" and spent time with each other most weekends.

Mr Wilson refused to comment on the incident.

But Mr Oliver said the question of what should happen to Mack had caused a rift in the family.
He expressed concern about Victoria's dangerous dog laws and said he was "absolutely gutted" because he believed "the dog has come before the child".

(Herald Sun - Aug 3, 2013)

Earlier:

• Kelpie attack injures child

Kelpie attack injures child

AUSTRALIA -- A Champion Kelpie should be destroyed after it allegedly attacked a six-year-old girl, according to her father.

Mack - a lauded working dog that has won numerous events at the Casterton Kelpie Festival - is believed to have left the schoolgirl with severe facial wounds requiring hundreds of stitches, micro and plastic surgery and the need for ongoing dental work.

Victoria Police confirmed the incident happened on June 22 on private property at Balliang East, near Bacchus Marsh.

Moorabool Shire Council is tasked with investigating the incident because it occurred on a private residence.

It is believed no one witnessed the attack.

The girl's father, Trevor, said he did not hold the owners responsible for the attack, but believed the dog should be destroyed to prevent future similar incidents.

He said the girl had grown up around the dog.

"We don't know what made the dog switch, but something like this should not be able to happen again," he said.

Council chief executive Rob Croxford said rangers were investigating the incident and "liaising with all parties involved, including seeking legal advice".

(Weekly Times Now - July 30, 2013)

Happy Valley dogs confiscated after gruesome attacks

OREGON -- When Angela Dewey heard screams outside her Happy Valley home June 22, she thought, "The dogs are out."

She didn't have to look out the window. It had all happened before. Instead, she screamed for her husband who ran up from the basement and out the door to the street.

When Dewey peeked outside, she saw a gruesome scene. A tiny white dog was the rope in a tug of war. One dog grabbed the Havanese dog by its throat, another grabbed it thigh. The small dog's owner, Laura Coburn, looked on, screaming.

 "They were pulling it like a rag doll. It looked like they were going to pull it in half," Dewey said.

Dewey's husband ran straight for the large dogs and started punching them, according to the police report. The animals dropped the smaller dog, and all three dogs ran away. Coburn tried to follow her injured dog, Tellulah, and found her at home waiting at the back door.

Tellulah got 60 stitches on her neck, back and stomach. Her jugular was grazed, and her stomach was ripped open, according to Laura Coburn's husband, David. The dog "may not survive," Clackamas County sheriff's deputy Robert Stewart wrote in his report.

Brian Boyd, who lives with the large dogs, found Laura Coburn and apologized. He asked her to send the vet bill to him. It wasn't the first vet bill he's paid. The two dogs on 140th Place Drive in Happy Valley have been involved in a string of incidents.

On Wednesday morning, the dogs' owners, Brian Boyd, 54, and his son, Benjamin Boyd, 23, appeared in Happy Valley municipal court on charges of having dogs at large and endangering an animal. Both men pleaded guilty and will return to court July 17 for a hearing to determine sentencing and what to do with the animals.

"Please let us keep our dogs," Benjamin Boyd begged of municipal court Judge Larry Blake. "These dogs are my life."

Benjamin Boyd held pictures of the younger dog, Luna, a 3-year-old bull mastiff - pit bull mix sniffing noses with another dog and a picture of his 7-year-old box / pit bull terrier Boomer wearing a sweatshirt.

 "I have no excuse for the actions of my dogs, but I can prevent it from happening again," Benjamin Boyd said.

Blake ordered that the two dogs held at the county animal shelter for two weeks.

 

After the hearing, Benjamin Boyd said in an interview that he's had both dogs since they were five weeks old and that they are normally obedient and friendly, especially Luna.

Last November a police report details a similar attack, although Benjamin Boyd said Boomer and a friend's dog – not Luna – were involved in that one.

Donald Bakeman, 72, was walking his [Australian] Kelpie down 140th Place when one of the bigger dogs came out. Bakeman kept walking, but soon the other dog came out.

"One had waited for the other and then they attacked him and his dog," a police report stated.

"Bakeman told me he went to the ground in the gravel. Mr. Bakeman said he threw rocks at the dogs and they finally ran away."

Fearing the dogs, Dewey said she got into her car and went to Bakeman. Bakeman and his dog, both covered in blood, got into her car and she drove them home. Bakeman wasn't seriously injured, but his dog needed surgery.

 "Why should these neighbors have fear walking past your property?" asked Judge Blake. "For two weeks the neighbors will have no fear about these dogs getting out."

(Oregon Live - July 07, 2013)


MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF COMPLAINTS:

January 2010 – One of the Boyds' dogs reported loose. Owners receive a warning.

July 2010 – Dogs reported "being aggressive toward passersby." Happy Valley issues a warning but finds no violation

August 2010 – "One dog ran off the property and bit a dog," according to complaint.

November 2012 – Dogs reportedly knock down Donald Bakeman, 72, and bite his dog. Boyds fined $3,000, ordered to pay vet bills and serve 24 months probation.

June 2013 – Boyds' dogs attack and severely injure another dog. Disposition pending.

Source: Happy Valley code enforcement records

Australia: Young girl mauled by six dogs, including three Mastiffs, a Kelpie and German Shepherd - 'she was a screaming ball of sand and blood'

AUSTRALIA -- Maya Wicksteed was savaged by the three mastiffs and three other dogs, including a german shepherd and a red cloud kelpie, at a Baldivis property last Friday.

She was taken to hospital where she received hundreds of stitches to bite injuries to her head, face and body.

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said the three dogs were euthanised at the owner’s request.

Mr Sammels said an investigation into the attack was continuining and no one had been prosecuted.

Maya’s father Bruce Wicksteed told of his horror when he realized his daughter had been attacked, describing her as “a screaming ball of sand and blood”.

Mr Wicksteed was visiting a neighbor with Maya when he heard his daughter screaming.

“The owner of the property was laying down on the ground. Six dogs were aggressively just going for it, trying to get underneath him and then I realized I could hear her screaming, I realized Maya was underneath them,” Mr Wicksteed said.

“Maya was a screaming ball of sand and blood. Police later told me she had been dragged over a 40-metre area.”

In an act that Mr Wicksteed said saved his daughter’s life, his neighbor jumped on top of the dogs and held them down to free Maya.

Then, Mr Wicksteed grabbed her and ran towards the property’s house as the dogs chased them.

“As we got closer to the door, I was just praying that it was unlocked,” he said.

“I got there, the door was unlocked, just as the dogs arrived behind me. I slammed the door on them as they were jumping up.”

Mr Wicksteed said he wanted dog laws changed to include Bull Arab Mastiffs as a classified dangerous dog.

“They are a killing machine. If a dog can’t differentiate between a pig and a little girl, there’s an issue,” he said.

The vicious attack has prompted the WA Local Government Association to urge local councils to develop dog control strategies to prevent future attacks.

WALGA president Troy Pickard said most dog control laws had not been changed for more than 35 years and were outdated.

“I welcome the announcement by the Minister that he intends to introduce a Dog Amendment Bill to the coming session of Parliament,” he said.

“It is encouraging that his proposed amendments will consider prohibiting the availability, breeding and sale of dangerous breeds and sterilization of dangerous breeds along with increased penalties for irresponsible owners and powers for local rangers.

“Revisions to the Dog Act to deal more effectively with vicious dogs have been on the agenda of State Governments for years and it is time to do something about it, before another innocent person or family pet is seriously mauled or killed.”

*   *   *   *   *   *

Mr Wicksteed choked back tears as he said the property owners saved Maya's life.

"They lay themselves down to protect her and I'm eternally grateful for that - it was an amazing act," he said. "My wife and I are concerned this breed of dog is not more regulated. They're a killing machine and if a dog can't differentiate between a little girl and a pig, there's an issue.

"These dogs, I believe, have to be put down but I would like more awareness on the breed and I would like much tighter controls on how they are managed."

The three Bull Mastiffs, owed by the property owners' son, were surrendered to City of Rockingham rangers. The other three dogs, including a German shepherd and a red cloud kelpie, remained at the property.

Mr Wicksteed said he also had concerns about the number of dogs a person could own because he believed all six had adopted a pack mentality.

The dogs may be destroyed and, under the Dog Act, the owner could be fined $10,000.

(Perth Now - June 7, 2012)

Dog attacks elderly woman

AUSTRALIA -- An elderly woman was rushed to the Royal Hobart Hospital after a dog attack outside a suburban shopping centre.

The dog, believed to be a Staffordshire Terrier - Australian Kelpie cross, bit the 70 year old woman on the leg and arm during the attack at the New Town shopping centre over the weekend.

This isn't the dog that attacked, but I wasn't familiar
with Kelpies. I found this photo online. It's an
Australian Kelpie / Staffordshire Terrier mix.

When police and a council dog ranger went to see the 26-year-old female owner, she allegedly ordered the dog to attack police.

Inspector Glen Woolley says the woman has been charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest and her two dog have been seized.

"It's quite a concerning situation - especially for dog owners who do leave their dogs unattended - if they are leaving them in public places and they do know that the dogs are susceptible to biting people then they do need to make sure that their dogs are either muzzled or kept in some another secure area, away from people where they could injure or could bite an innocent passerby," he said.

A decision about the dogs' future will be made later this week.

(7News - September 5, 2011)

Banned from owning pets after neglect case

 

AUSTRALIA -- A woman whose starving, maggot-infested pet dog was brought ”virtually dead” into an animal centre told investigators that the dog was anorexic.

Michelago woman Natasha Ann Ceric, 28, told animal inspectors she had not noticed anything wrong with her pet dog, which had ”haemorrhagic diarrhoea” and skin infections, until a day or two before it died.

Her 14-year-old kelpie Daizy, who had both rear legs amputated after a car accident, died within two minutes of being admitted to the animal emergency centre in August 2009.

A vet found that the dog suffered poor health, had not eaten for up to a week before it died and had been involved in a dog fight.

In the ACT Magistrates Court yesterday Ceric was banned from keeping pets for the next two years and placed on an 18-month good-behaviour order.

She told animal inspectors that Daizy was extremely skinny because she was anorexic but had been in good condition until a few days before her death, playing ball and eating milk, eggs and dog treats.

(Global Chronicle - June 29, 2011)