A WOMAN and her pet greyhound are recovering after being attacked by a dog while walking in bushland near Eaglehawk at the weekend.
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The attack happened at Lightning Hill Reserve when the women and a friend were walking the dog on lead.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she saw a man with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the distance.
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The man and his dog made their way over to the woman and her greyhound which led to the Staffordshire allegedly attacking the greyhound with the woman forced to intervene to separate the dogs.
"His dog was a brindle Staffy with no lead or collar," the woman said. "I knew from the dog's face he was going to attack. My dog was stressed and didn't like energy.
"The two dogs and I fell down the hill. The other owner came up eventually and (we) got them separated but unfortunately it started again because he couldn't restrain the other dog due to it not wearing a collar.
"At one stage the Staffy had my dog's face in its mouth and had locked on to it. I thought 'this dog is not letting go'. I know people say not to do it but I forced my hand into the dog's mouth and pushed down on its tongue and jaw to release his grip."
The greyhound sustained a number of wounds on its head and face and was taken to a vet for treatment. It is now recovering. The woman had injuries to her hand and went to hospital but didn't require stitches.
The woman said the incident should serve as a warning to other pet owners to be cautious of other dogs and ensure they can control their dogs while walking them in public.
She has reported the incident to the City of Greater Bendigo.
Council investigations coordinator Samuel Johnson confirmed he had received a report of a dog attack.
"If the city (is) notified of a dog attack occurring, the incident will be investigated by the Local Laws team," he said.
"Enforcement action may be taken as a result of any investigation in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and the city's policies and procedures."
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Mr Johnson said Greater Bendigo is considered an off leash municipality but that owners must have effective control of their pets.
"Owners may walk their dogs off-lead however must maintain effective control at all times (and it) should be noted that different rules may apply to state or national parks.
"Dog owners must remain within voice or hand control distance of their dog at all times and ensure the dog is within sight and not allow your dog off leash if it doesn't respond to your recall.
"(Owners must also) ensure their dog is not a nuisance or aggressive towards other dogs, people or wildlife."