Savage dogs

[MAPLEMAN]

A few weeks ago i noticed 2 dogs on the neighbours property loitering very close to the boundary of the property where i am residing.
What made me concerned was the fact that one of them appeared to look like a Pit Bull and the other was a large Pig dog X...both animals were collarless and were behaving aggressively towards the cattle grazing nearby.
I knew that they resided on the property as they were constantly told by their owners to 'get down the back' everytime they came too close to the house.
'Down the back' meaning an area near the river where their owners live...in a caravan/shed.
Anyway we had a 'gut' feeling about these dogs in terms of them wandering onto our property and their aggressive nature and the consequences that could unfold,as we have a dog of our own...Pandy!
Went into the Local Council office to ask the questions...'what do we do if they do wander onto our property'?...'are Pit Bull dogs a prohibited breed'...'and were they registered' as we could see they were collarless.
They told us NOTHING could be done until the dogs attacked someone and that pictures of any such offence(s) would have to be provided.
So yesterday as i am going about my chores,my friend alerts me to the fact that these 2 dogs had breached the boundary of our property, and whilst one was defacating the other was cruising around without fear :(.
I grabbed the camera and walked to an area that gave me a good view of proceedings and started taking some photos of these critters...i made sure that i was still a fair distance from them just in case they got hostile...big mistake that was!!!
Both dogs charged towards me from a good 100 metres and within seconds found myself being stalked and hunted...i thought i was going to die.
The camera was my only weapon :C
The brindle 'Pit Bull' was there first,snarling and barking whilst the 'Pig Dog'x circled me menacingly, waiting for the opportunist time to attack.
At this stage i was needing a nappy :oo:...never been in such a position of terror in all my life :no:
I started yelling at them(dogs) and was calling for the owners(who were home) to call them off me...no one came :((
I stood my ground though the dogs kept edging closer...make that 2 nappies!!!
Finally my friend came flying down the paddock with a big stick and the drama ended...thank god :~
My question is...is this a Council or Police matter...what can i do make sure we are safe?
These dogs are extremely dangerous and would have killed me if i hadn't stood my ground
The pics show them hurtling towards me :C...the pic of the 'Pit Bull' was not the best as i was shaking like a leaf and couldn't hold the camera steady:no:
Any advice appreciated...MM:)

[Fuzzie]

I would say that an attack had occurred. They were on your property and have assaulted you, assault does not require physical contact. Report it to the council as an attack of unrestrained dangerous dogs.

[Jeffen]

No advice to offer Chris, just stay safe!

Take care, Jeff

[doug3030]

Hi Chris,

I know of your love for dogs so for you to be upset by this means to me that this is serious.

Your still photos really do not seem to tell the full story as well as it wasportrayed in your words.

I think next time you need to put your phone camera on video, recording the sounds of the dogs too. Also make a running commentary of the attack yourself including how the dogs' behavior makes you feel as the attack unfolds.

Then send the video to the police and the council.

Keep a diary of any interaction with the dogs, include all the details you can. Dates, times which dog did what, whether photos or videos were taken and if not why not. Also include any impacts this situation has on your lives, even down to if you feel nervous or cautious and find yourself acting defensively or even avoiding areas of your own property or particular activities you cannot do for fear of attracting attention from the dogs. Document EVERYTHING.

After all you and your friend have been through lately I an sorry to hear that you are now experiencing this.

Doug

[MAPLEMAN]

Thanks for that Fuzzie
Will see Council in person tomorrow to discuss
Sent through online complaint but need to vent my feelings in person
Still really shook up by the ordeal...MM

[Ubernoob]

Trap them and make them go away, feral owners=feral dogs.

If they have dangerous dogs they shouldn't leave their property without being on a leash.

A friend's dog almost got shot because he lived on a property and didn't put the dog's collar on and no collar equals a bullet. Another friend had ~80 goats and possibly his own dog(savage Maremma!) killed by feral dogs, they are a problem and even if these ones aren't properly feral if they are roaming there is a chance they could be breeding with anything in the area.

My dog was a ~2yr old feral/stray dog when I found him and he was a handful to keep in line, had to live indoors as he could jump 6ft Colorbond fences and walk on timber fences. Not sure what happened to him as a pup but he didn't like strangers right up until his death.

[BobL]

I agree with Doug. Unfortunately the pics are not worth much.
Make sure there are clear indicators that the dogs are on your property in the pics - I dunno - put up flags or something.

Our council Ranger is great at dealing with this sort of thing.

At a local large park near the Swan River where heaps of people (including me) walk dogs, there was this idiot who started bringing down his two large aggressive dogs. He'd let then off the leash to run amok, terrorizng all the other dogs and some people. The dogs would get totally wound up and chase everyone out of the park and then it would take the owner 30 minutes to catch them and put them back on a leash. He did not apologise to anyone - just laughed and made out like the dogs were having a bit of fun fun. We should have reported him much sooner than we did but eventually several of the dog walkers reported him and the Ranger gave us his direct mobile number to call him if we saw the idiot again. The next time was a few days later just as I got to the park I saw the man and dogs in the distance running away from a terrified young woman with a toddler in hand and one in a pram and her small dog which had been attacked but was OK. I had our two dogs with me so I did not want to go near these other dogs so I called the ranger and made sure the you woman was OK. The ranger came immediately and chased down the owner and had words but by the dogs had gone. Then I walked home got my vehicle and helped the ranger look for the dogs all around the neighbourhood but no luck. I later called the ranger about it and he said the owner was going to court and the dogs were to be impounded. Much later I saw the ranger and he said the owner was fined but the dogs were never found. He had been multiple times around to the owners place and they were not there. The ranger also asked a few of the owners neighbours about it and it sounds like the owner found the dogs and immediately took them out of town but of course the owner denied this

[ian]

Hi Chris

similar thing happened to my sister about 3 years ago. Not as happy an ending for her as the two dogs killed her pet Shiba and bit her. Council went onto the property where both dogs resided, impounded both and then destroyed them about 7 days later.

In NSW, the situation you describe is a matter for the local council, who employ dog control officers or rangers who's job is to deal with dogs like those you describe. A quick google and less than 5 minutes reading suggests that similar provisions apply in Queensland, so I suggest you start with your local Council.

As far as I know a dog attack is not a police matter till the dogs do physical harm to a person (i.e. attack and maim), and the police are unlikely to act if the only "harm" done is to your pet dog. Council, however, has a lower threshold of evidence and can act before blood is spilled.

You don't have to prove that the neighbours own the dogs, as the Qld act defines the person "responsible for a dog" i.e. owner, as "the person [who] occupies the place at which the dog is usuallykept.

So, as I understand the situation.
The neighbour keeps two dogs, that are not collared. Which is possibly OK as the dogs may only need to be collared when not on the neighbour's property.
The dogs entered your property and attacked you -- they acted aggressively, stalked you and had to be driven off with a weapon.
You want Council to do compel the dogs' owner to restrain the dogs, or alternately to impound the dogs.


Unfortunately, I don't think that "protection from the neighbour's dogs" is a valid reason for owning a firearm so you can't rely on the .35 rule.

[MAPLEMAN]

Thank you everyone for the replies.
Sorry for the quality of the pictures but once they started running towards me I froze
I was then too focused on the dogs than I was on taking pictures
My friend witnessed the event but understandably was too scared to run to my aid initially
Takes a bit to ruffle my feathers but when confronted by 2 dogs eager to kill,and not having any sort of defence (stick etc),the experience can be harrowing
No doubt whatsoever there would have a death or serious injury had it happened to a child or elderly person
Council have acknowledged my complaint via e-mail however the landowner is denying the dogs exist on the property :no:
So I will now make the drive into Caboolture and visit the relevant Council officers and verbalise my experience and try and get a resolve.
Wont be taking matters into my own hands...will follow due processes to the letter of the law!
But no one should live in fear of being savaged by dogs...MM

[Fuzzie]

Traps (https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/wild-dogs/trapping)?

[Big Shed]

As MM is now on track to solve this problem the LEGAL way this thread is now closed.