A dog owner whose puppy was mauled by an American Bulldog warned neighbors to be alert for the dangerous dog and its owner, who showed no remorse for the attack.
The dog’s owner had been walking a nine-month-old puppy in Forsyth Park in Neutral Bay, on Sydney’s lower north shore, about 7.15pm on Saturday.
A “large” American Bulldog approached, closely followed by a Golden Retriever.
“Before the two dogs were close, I yelled at the owner to call his dog,” they wrote on Facebook.
“His dog didn’t listen and continued to approach my dog.”
As the canines approached, the dog’s owner stepped between the puppy and the bulldog to form a barrier.
“He then lunged at my dog and grabbed the skin on my dog’s neck and cheek,” the puppy’s owner wrote.
And then shake it from side to side. Then the owner arrived and grabbed his dog by the harness.
A woman posted photos on behalf of her friend whose puppy was attacked on Saturday night by an American Bulldog (pictured).
One of the puncture wounds suffered by the nine-month-old puppy (pictured)
But the bulldog still wouldn’t let go, prompting the puppy’s owner to “scream” at the bulldog owner to strangle his dog, which ultimately caused him to release his bite.
The puppy’s owner asked the bulldog owner why they were at a dog park with his animal off leash if he “had no control over it.”
“Then he told me, ‘Your dog started it.’ He didn’t apologize or show any concern for my dog,” they said.
Those who read the online account were exasperated by his response.
‘“Your dog started” WTF,” one wrote.
“A lovely man,” said one.
A third wrote: “If your dog doesn’t remember, put a damn leash on him!”
Others urged the dog’s owner to report the incident to authorities.
“Please speak to the council as this dog may be declared a ‘dangerous or threatening dog,'” one wrote.
But many residents believed the dog should not be punished.
‘Don’t blame the dog for its owner’s lack of training. Reporting it will simply get the dog euthanized and it’s not the dog’s fault,” one wrote.
The off-leash park, Forsyth Park, Neutral Bay, where the incident occurred.
Another recognized both the owner and his dog and defended them both.
“I don’t want to make light of this incident, but I ran into these two while walking my Cavalier (female, spayed, calm, gentle) in the past, and everything has been going well,” they wrote.
He New South Wales Government Website outlines the legal responsibilities of dog owners, stating that a dog in a public place “must be under their effective control.”
“You should also be able to control your dog in an off-leash area,” it said.
Fines of up to $11,000 apply if a dog “rushes, attacks, bites, harasses or chases any person or animal (other than vermin), whether or not harm is caused to the person or animal.”