Hard line on dog attacks

COUNCIL is warning dog owners to control their pets or face prosecution following a spate of dog attacks in the past week.
Acting Local Laws manager Phil Amson says council took a hard line on dog attacks, recently prosecuting three people over separate incidents.
Dog owners must take steps to reduce the possibility of their pet attacking animals or children, he said.
“It’s responsible pet ownership, and it can be as simple as making sure you close your gate to keep the dog from wandering the street, or by keeping it on a leash around other animals or people,” he said.
On Wednesday, a local man was fined $1200 in Noosa Magistrates’ Court for a dog attack in which a man was injured at Sunshine Beach late last year.
As well as the fine, he was also ordered to pay professional and court costs.
In April, a woman was fined $500 after her dog attacked an animal at Sunshine Beach, while a Noosa Heads man received a $1000 fine for a dog attack on an elderly woman at Noosaville in December 2014.
“These results reflect council’s commitment to enforcing responsible pet ownership and the seriousness with which the court deals with dog attacks,” Mr Amson said.
Council is investigating eight further dog attacks reported in the past week.
“It is eight too many,” Mr Amson said.
“It seems every year we go through a period where owners become complacent and we have a series of attacks. Complacency or being inattentive to your dog is no defence in legal proceedings. Dangerous dogs have no place in our community, and it is every dog owner’s responsibility to ensure their animal does not pose a risk to other people or animals.”
Dog owners who let their pets wander also face fines in excess of $230, plus impoundment charges.