A Byron Bay woman whose Kelpie dog was attacked by an American Staffy at Belongil Beach is hoping the community can help track down the vicious dog.
The reader, who has asked not to be named, was walking her 9-year-old ‘gentle’ Kelpie about 8.30am on Easter Saturday when she noticed a couple – a stocky man with light coloured hair 35-45 and a thin long blond haired woman about 25 years old – chasing their American Staffy.
The reader said the Staffy targeted her dog, which tried to evade it for about twenty minutes.
She threw a ball into deep water, knowing her dog would chase it, but the other dog followed her dog out.
‘The staffy followed my dog out keeping up with her and getting between her and her ball,’ she said.
‘It grabbed her by the neck and somehow they were now in ankle deep water and I ran and pulled my dog up out of the water holding her around the chest telling her to be calm.
‘She was but her neck was extended a good 8-10cm.’
The reader said the owners of the other dog piled on to it while she called for someone to ‘kick it in the butt’, hoping that it would result in the attacking dog releasing its grip.
‘It took a good twenty minutes for someone to do that and my dog escaped,’ she said.
‘I fell into the water and lost my belongings when someone called ‘Lady, get your dog out of here, can’t you see they haven’t got control of their dog and you don’t want it to latch on again’.
‘ I complied and with the help of several people managed to get my dog to my car. Someone helped locate the only open vet way up past Robina – a gruelling journey.
‘Someone else returned some of my belongings, we lost her good lead but she survived.
‘We waited three and a half hours at that vet but when she was examined, the vet said she needed immediate surgery as her carotid artery was exposed and throbbing and the hole was saucer sized.
She was so lucky to have made it that far.
A five and a half hour surgery saw her recover with a 16cm long cut to her neck. I heard later that that man’s hand had been bitten but there has been no effort to contact me to see how my dog is, pay the $1,600 bill or let me know if that man with bitten hand is ok.
‘I keep thinking it could have been a small child and would they survive?’
So I am trying to track the dog down. I put up posters at Belongil and Tallows Beaches asking for help to track it down. The very next day they were gone ripped away.
‘I can’t help thinking it must be the dog’s owner.
‘So I’m asking for the public’s help to locate this vicious dog.
‘I want to ensure that a dog who has tasted both animal and human blood is put down and will no longer threaten gentle well-behaved pets or even children on the beach.
‘If you witnessed the attack or aftermath, or know the dog or owners concerned please call me on 66809501 and leave a message or contact the Byron Council Rangers.’
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