RELATED: Readers pity Rocky the Rottweiler
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RELATED: Dog attack victim speaks out, video
RELATED: Vicious dog attack in Bendigo
THE owner of a dog that viciously attacked a woman in Bendigo last week says she warned the victim not to pat it.
Nicole Singleton, 29, said her dog, Rocky, was "beautiful" and had never previously attacked anyone.
She said victim Liza-Jane Purtill had to take some blame for the attack because she disregarded a request to stay away from the dog.
"The lady, she goes, 'There's a lot of sniffers out tonight and she started to walk next to the dog and I said, 'Please don't come next to the dog because I don't know what it will do'," she said.
"She came up to the dog and pat it anyway."
Ms Purtill has told the Bendigo Advertiser the Rottweiler latched onto her right arm and dragged her to the ground.
Ms Purtill required surgery on her arm as a result of the attack and has been told she will need two weeks off work to recover.
Ms Singleton said after the attack she apologised to Ms Purtill and provided her name and a contact number.
She said she was flustered and accidentally gave her a number with one wrong digit.
She said she had only had Rocky for about six weeks and the former owner abused him.
Ms Singleton said she had twice tried to get a muzzle for Rocky but the shop didn't have one that would fit.
An emotional Ms Singleton said she and her children Hayley, 11, and Jordan, 9, were worried Rocky would be put down.
"I'm not happy she's making up all these lies about my dog, it's not fair," she said.
"It's a beautiful dog.
"I'm just so angry."
The City of Greater Bendigo has impounded Rocky and continues to investigate the incident.
Animal services manager Neville Zimmer told the Bendigo Advertiser last week once the investigation was complete a council legal representative would decide on the next course of action.
"Most likely it will go before a magistrate to make a determination. The magistrate will look at all the evidence and the things that would be considered would be whether it's a serious dog attack, if it's registered, if it's under effective control... one of the options could be that the magistrate decides to put the dog down," he said.
Ms Singleton said she had not been charged with any offence.