Councils, dog attacks and muzzles!

It's been a while since I last put pinkys to keyboard, but sometimes an issue gets me so incensed that I just feel compelled to write and this one is a real doozy.

Some good friends have a beautiful black boy greyhound, he's only 4 years old but is a gentle cuddly and playful boy who we have looked after on occasion.

Recently while at an off lead area at a local beach, he was attacked and badly mauled by another dog.

100 stitches and several surgeries later he is on the mend, but his traumatic experience means he still has major fear issues being around other non-greyhound dogs. These will probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

The situation sounds incredibly unfortunate. The other dog was on a leash but unmuzzled. The leash was being held by the dog owners neighbours kid who dropped the leash, which in turn lead to the other dog attacking.

Subsequent investigations by animal control proved fruitless - they say that because the beach is an off leash area, owners enter with their dogs at their own risk and that this absolves the attacking dogs owners of any liability.

Making matters worse, the attacking dogs owners have also refused to help with vet bills which are now in excess of an eye-watering $2000 and are likely to continue to increase with further treatments. The there's training and behaviour modification needed which is also likely to be costly.

This beautiful black greyhounds owners are being left with no choice but to treat the matter as civil case and try their luck in the disputes tribunal. Even if they win, they'll most likely be left out of pocket for the time and legal advice required.

What really gets my goat about this is that this hound is just one of a growing number being attacked on a beach. Sadly this is becoming a regular thing. The really annoying is that it could be easily avoided.

All the councils need to do is make it compulsory for dogs to be muzzled and unmuzzled dogs automatically fined/liable for any damage and attacks as an incentive for dog owners to take some responsibility for their dogs.

Even if there was a fight between two dogs, damage would be minimised through the use of muzzles and dog owners would not have to resort to trying their luck at the disputes tribunal.

Sadly councils don't seem to care. It is a fair bet to say that nothing will happen - even though the number of dog attacks at off leash areas are only likely to increase.

Sigh