Anger at ‘killer’ canine reprieve
A PET owner whose cat was attacked inside his Trinity Beach home by a stray dog is appalled Cairns Regional Council will not declare the canine a dangerous animal.
Ken Harley was sitting in his Jamieson St home about 11.30pm on January 10, when a white bull arab cross entered his yard, and ventured inside the lounge room through an open back door.
Mr Harley’s pet cat “Puss” was grabbed by the dog, and dragged outside.
“By the time I got outside, there was a scuffle,” he said.
“The cat got up a tree, and had gotten on top of the fence,
“The dog was jumping around on the bottom. I hunted it. It then took off down the side (of the house) and over the road.”
Mr Harley rescued his cat, but the animal later died from its injuries.
He claimed the dog belonged to neighbours, and had escaped from its yard.
He reported the attack to the council, but when he inquired several months later, he was informed a decision to declare the dog dangerous had been overturned.
“When a dog comes into someone’s house, it’s frightening. It could have been a kid,” he said. “I’ve got grandchildren. “The dog should have been in its home. The onus is on the owner to keep it home.”
Believing the dog to be a danger to the community, Mr Harley applied for documentation about the animal via a Right To Information request, finding it had an extensive history of aggressive behaviour.
There is a record of two attacks on people, including a woman who was chased down the street by the dog, and another person who was allegedly bitten on the leg.
And the council had received numerous complaints from neighbours about the animal continually barking.
Kelly Reaston, the council’s planning and environment general manager, said there was no evidence to identify the dog involved in the attack.
“Council encourages anyone whose animal is involved in an incident to contact us immediately so we gather evidence to support further action,” she said.