The owner of a dog that viciously mauled another pet resulting in serious injury, has pled guilty and been sentenced in the Bendigo Magistrates Court.
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The court heard that 9.15 am on October 20, 2022 the victim was walking their five year boxer old dog, which was on a leash/harness, in Golden Square when the attack by a Bull Arab Cross called Milo occurred.
Magistrate Russell Kelly said he accepted the dog's owner was a person of good character and it was just their dog that was the issue.
The court heard the owner's dog, Milo, was with their trainer at the time of the incident, and the owner was also home.
Milo was on the front porch of the house, unleashed, before jumping the fence and attacking the boxer dog, requiring another person to intervene with a hose.
The court heard when the victim walked their boxer dog home, they noticed puncture wounds and lacerations on the pooch, consistent with serious injury.
The victim then drove the dog to the vet - which was paid for by Milo's owner.
Milo was previously involved in another attack is registered as a 'menacing dog.'
The accused's lawyer, Brett Melke, said the owner didn't realise Milo had jumped the fence and contact between the two dogs had occurred and they were "horrified" it had happened.
Mr Melke said his client paid the vet bill, apologised at the time of the incident, and had complied with the animal management order put in place by the City.
He said although the attack was serious, it wasn't on a human and while the boxer dog was injured, it wasn't a particularly serious 'serious injury' and the dog was discharged from the vet and not required to be kept overnight.
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The court heard the owner has also suffered a financial burden as they were required to implement a gate and also spent money on dog training trying to fix Milo's issues.
Mr Melke said his client got Milo as a rescue dog and was trying to do something good by taking the dog in, and didn't know how reactive the dog was.
He said his client also spent time volunteering.
"She's community minded, I would submit," Mr Melke said.
He said his client sought a non conviction order as a conviction could affect her employment.
Magistrate Kelly said he didn't think a conviction wouldn't affect her ability to work with children, but conceded it would be another hurdle for the owner.
The magistrate said what the owner did with the dog was up to them, and without conviction fined them $700 and ordered them to pay $1000 in pound fees to the City of Greater Bendigo.
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