It is not uncommon for dogs to attack other dogs. On some occasions, dogs may attack people. If a dog attack is happening right now, call us on 6581 8111 and we can come to the scene immediately.
If you are reporting an attack after the incident has occurred, follow the steps below to make your report.
A dog attack may be distressing to see and is a very serious matter. For a thorough investigation to commence, we need to have all the following details:
We will investigate the attack, provided we have the contact details of the dog owner. We will get statements from both parties about the attack. The investigation can be a lengthy process if the outcome is to declare the dog dangerous. You may also be required to attend court as a witness to your statement.
Note: It is the dog owners decision whether a dog is put down after an attack. We don’t usually remove dogs from their owners unless they cannot be secured.
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It's important to understand that any dog may attack or bite, even the family pet. A dog may be provoked into attacking. This includes a situation where a dog is being teased or treated cruelly, a dog responding to an attack on its owner or member of the owners family, or a dog responding to a trespasser.
If you see a dog attack, or if your dog is the victim or perpetrator of a dog attack, do not try and break up the dog fight with your bare hands. Instead, try to pour water from a water bottle over the dogs heads or use a hose to wet their body to shock the dogs into breaking apart.
Keep calm with the other dog owner - you will both be in shock; swap details if it is safe to do so and focus on each other's and your pet's health.
If you or your pet required medical attention, you can reasonably ask the owner of the attacking dog to cover the cost of the medical bills. Legally, they may be liable for damages in respect to injury to a person or other animal. All claims for costs or damages are a civil matter and we will not be able to assist in these proceedings.