Dog owners’ lucky jail escape

While welcoming the court’s decision to hand out a penalty, Mayor Khal Asfour was not happy with the leniency shown to the owners.
He said the court had the ability to jail the owners and believes that should have occurred, “because their pet could have killed someone”.
“At the very least, they should have been banned from ever owning a dog again but the court only handed them a fine,” he said.
The first attack occurred in September 2018, when one of the pair’s two Staffordshire Bull Terriers attacked a woman at Bankstown City Gardens, inflicting multiple puncture wounds and lacerations to her legs, arms and chest. The same dog, which had been declared a dangerous dog under the Companion Animals Act 1998, then attacked a 55-year-old man at Lakemba in January this year. A 33-year-old man, who came to the victim’s assistance, was also attacked. Both men suffered serious injuries, requiring stitches to puncture wounds and lacerations.
City of Canterbury Bankstown was forced to euthanise the offending dog and declared the couple’s other Staffy, which was present and unrestrained during both of the attacks, a dangerous dog. It has then taken action against the owners, after an inspection found the dog was not being contained in an approved enclosure with appropriate warning signage.
Mayor Asfour said all pet owners, particular those with animals declared dangerous, are required by law to follow specific procedures.
“Owning a pet carries important responsibilities with it,” he said.
“Residents should also be able to feel safe when doing a simple thing like walking down the street.”