DANGEROUS DOG TO DIE

Careless owner out of chances after cop bitten

A CARELESS dog owner has run out of chances after a court ordered her dangerous dog be put down.

Natalie Roba was the owner of Duke the staffordshire terrier when it bit a police officer in Whittington on January 17 this year.

Yesterday, the Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard the police officer was investigating a water leak at Roba’s Solar Drive home when the nineyear-old dog charged from the backyard and under a roller door, biting the man on the ankle.

The court was told the dog was declared dangerous in 2017 after it chased and bit a child when it escaped the Whittington backyard.

The City of Greater Geelong prosecutor said Roba showed a “complete disregard” for conditions under which she had to keep the dog at her property, including keeping it in a 10sqm locked enclosure and putting a distinctive yellow collar on it to alert the public it was a dangerous dog.

The council’s lawyer told the court a day after the dog bit the police officer it was spotted by council staff roaming freely in the front yard of the property without a collar.

“Ms Roba clearly can’t comply with the dangerous-dog declarations, and is putting the community at risk,” the prosecutor said.

Roba’s lawyer told the court injuries to the police officer were minor, and argued the dog shouldn’t be put down.

“The dog has sentimental value to the family,” the lawyer said. The lawyer said his client’s young son had let the dog out of the its enclosure on the day it was spotted in the front yard.

“My client is conceding that shouldn’t have happened,” the lawyer said.

The lawyer said the construction of a pool at the property distracted Roba, and that was the reason the dog escaped the backyard.

Magistrate Leonard Brear said Roba had a duty of care to make sure the dog did not escape the backyard.

“The court has to protect the community from animals that can do damage,” Mr Brear said. “In all the circumstances the court is bound that the dog be destroyed by an authorised officer at the Greater Geelong city council.” Mr Brear ordered Roba pay a $2500 fine and $2910 in pound fees.