What to do if a dog attacks?

If you or your dog have been involved in a dog attack, your first priority is to seek medical or veterinary treatment.

Reporting the incident

As soon as practicable, you must report the attack to Council on 8584 8000. This is especially important if the offending dog is wandering at large and still poses a risk to the public or other animals.

To help council investigate the matter, please fill out the Dog Attack & Complaint Form. When completing the form, please try to gather the following information before submitting to us.

• The date, time and exact location of the attack (if you are unsure, use your GPS equipped smart phone to check on a map)
• Description of the offending dog - registration disc, name tag, breed, colour, sex, markings, collar size, colour
• Description of the owner - name, address, contact phone number, male or female, age,  hair colour, clothing
• A description and photographs of any injuries and location on your body or your pet's body.

If a car was involved and the offender drove away with the dog - car registration number, make, model and colour

If you or your dog required medical assistant/treatment, we advise you to keep copies of any medical certificates, vet or doctor bills and submit as evidence.

What happens when a dog is reported?

Once Council receives a report the following actions may take place:

• Council investigators may take a statement or affidavit from you
• Photos may be taken of any injuries to yourself or your animals
• The attacking dog's owner may be contacted to get their side of the incident
• Investigators could seek witness statements if any were present

After everything has been collected, investigators assess the circumstances & evidence and make a decision for action. If it is decided that action will be taken, Council will issue legal notices as required and inform parties of the outcome.

Depending on the severity of the attack, council may:

• Issue a warning
• Issue an expiation of $315 as a court imposed penalty
• Impose a control order (Nuisance, Dangerous Dog, Menacing Dog, or Destruction Order)
• Take direct court action (in more serious cases)

The maximum penalty for a dog attack is $2,500

Prevention

While dogs bite for many reasons, the most common are fear, pain or confusion. These most occur when mixing with people and other dogs. Ignoring signs of your dogs aggressive behaviour can result in serious injury to you, a member of your family or others.

You can discourage biting by:

• Socialising your dog from an early age so it learns to mix with other dogs and people in public
• Avoiding situations that may cause your dog to become nervous or anxious
• Training your dog - obedience classes help you learn about your dog, its body language and how to communicate
• De-sexing your dog
• Asking your vet for advice