COUNCIL penalties for an owner failing to keep a dog under effective control are up to $630.75 but that is little consolation for Glenlogan Lakes Park resident Beverly Bass.
Ms Bass’s one-year-old dog Sweetie was severely mauled in about 60 seconds by a dog that escaped from its yard.
The devastated woman called on dog owners to take responsibility for keeping their pets secure.
Readers of the article on the Jimboomba Times website said many dog owners do not have secure yards and that wire boundary fences were insufficient.
The issue with dogs that is more commonly spoken about is owners allowing them to run off-leash. Logan City Council appeals for those offenders to be dobbed in via the Animal Management Centre on 3412 5397 or animalmanagementcentre@logan.qld.gov.au.
There are also council requirements for dog enclosures. First and foremost, they must prevent an animal from escaping over, under or through the barrier.
Council specifies the height (and size) of the enclosure dependent on the weight for the dog. For dogs, weighing more than 10 kilograms, the enclosure must be at least 1.2 metres high.
Residents out walking in our suburbs should not feel unsafe for their pets, children or themselves from unrestrained dogs.
There are regular posts about roaming dogs on social media groups. The intention is usually for those pets simply to be reunited with owners. But what happens with repeat offenders? Are residents reporting them to council or do we see that as an extreme response?
What if the environment in which the dogs are kept is not sufficient for the animal? Of course, it would be best for dog owners to take responsibility themselves but where this is not being done we may need to call on council to ensure compliance to keep other pets, children and adults safe.
