A MOUNT Gambier woman is mourning the loss of her best friend after her dog was injured in a vicious dog attack last week.
Suearna Pomery called Mount Gambier City Council last Thursday after her 10-year-old Alaskan Malamute “lost a chunk of his paw” in an incident she said involved an attack by her neighbour’s dog.
Expecting an immediate response, Ms Pomery said she was disappointed when a council officer informed her the matter would be dealt with the following day.
“The council officer I spoke with said she would call me the next day and when I did not hear from her I had to call again and follow up myself,” she said.
“At that point I had already had my dog put down because the vet told me he would not recover.
“I have been on the other side of this a few years ago when my daughter’s dog attacked another dog and the response was very different.
“Council officers were on the scene straight away and she had to surrender her dog and the dog was put down – I do not understand why in this case someone did not come here to assess the situation and do something about it that night.”
City growth general manager Judy Nagy said the council’s general inspectors were authorised to investigate dog attacks and impose penalties on dog owners as appropriate.
“The two dogs were reaching across private property boundaries to attack each other,” Ms Nagy said.
“The incident is still being investigated by council’s general inspectors.
“In the case of serious attacks where a person or dog has been injured, we encourage people to call the police, who are authorised under the Dog and Cat Management Act and can provide immediate assistance in an emergency.”
Ms Pomery said her neighbours had since removed their dog, described as “some type of pitbull cross”, from their property.
“They have taken the dog away and I’m not sure where it is being kept now,” Ms Pomery said.
“Another resident on this street told me she had spoken with the couple who own the dog a while ago and told them they needed to do something because it was an aggressive animal.”
Ms Pomery said she understood the dog was not registered at the time of the attack, but had since been registered and micro-chipped.
“It seems unfair to me they could walk in to the council office and register that dog the same day I was forced to say goodbye to my dog,” she said.
“That dog is dangerous and I feel the response from council was not good enough.
“I have lost my best friend – he was my family.”
