Dog owner pays the penalty

Batemans Bay Local Court has ordered a Batemans Bay man to pay a substantial penalty after his dog was proven to rush and attack a teenager delivering pamphlets.

Council’s environmental health and compliance coordinator Nathan Ladmore said the judgement was a reminder to dog owners they must ensure their pet is contained within their property when at home, or under effective control and leashed when in a public place. Dogs should not pose a risk to the community.

“Council takes matters of menacing and dangerous dogs seriously. The maximum court-imposed penalty is $11,000 for these types of offences and potential control orders for menacing and dangerous animals include the destruction of the dog,” Mr Ladmore said.

He said the dog circled and bit the teenager in September last year while she was letterboxing with her father. Council’s rangers contacted the dog’s owner and issued the $1,320 infringement set by the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998. The owner challenged the infringement and elected to take the matter to court where the offence was proven, with a court imposed penalty and Council’s costs awarded.

“During the recent review of the Companion Animal Management Plan 2018, the community was very clear about wanting Council to increase the focus on improving responsible pet ownership through a combination of education, compliance and enforcement. The onus is on dog owners to control and confine their animals,” Mr Ladmore said.

You can find more about living with pets in Eurobodalla here. To report a dog attack contact Council’s rangers on 02 4474 0109 or [email protected].