Fatal attack on baby by family dog shows danger of relying on breeders for details, inquest hears
A family dog that killed a baby has demonstrated the danger of dog owners and vets relying on breeders to provide accurate details of animals, the NSW coroner’s court has heard.
The deputy state coroner, Carmel Forbes, is investigating seven dog attacks that resulted in fatalities, including the death of a baby who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
In his opening address on Monday, senior counsel assisting the coroner David Kell detailed how the family dog suspected of being a pit bull took a baby from his mother’s arms and killed him on 11 July 2021.
The father of the child had bought what he was told was an American staffordshire terrier years earlier. The seller had advertised the dog on the Gumtree website.
About one month before the attack, council rangers claimed the dog, called Bully, was a pit bull. Rangers were called after Bully killed a cocker spaniel from a neighbouring property.
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The council issued the owners a notice that it would declare the animal a restricted breed and impose control measures on Bully. The owners, who had recently celebrated the birth of a child, asked for more time to respond.
Days later, Bully dragged the baby from his mother after she fell asleep in the evening.
Bully’s microchip data said he was an American staffordshire terrier.
However, vet Dr Emetia Cull said veterinary professionals had to enter the breed they were told when microchipping a pet.
“You have to go with what the owners told you, unless you do DNA,” she told the first day of the inquest at Lidcombe coroner’s court.
The inquest is investigating possible improvements to laws by examining the circumstances of dog attacks that led to seven deaths.
Cull said a DNA test cost about $180 and could take weeks before the breed was confirmed.
Earlier, Central Coast council ranger Christine Carlin told how it was not uncommon to find dogs whose listed breed did not seem accurate. She agreed with Kell that it was possible some breeders were deliberately stating breeds inaccurately to avoid restrictions on their animals.
She recalled a time she found five dogs roaming a property. While the dogs were not listed as pit bulls, Carlin said they had the identifying features.
The inquest also heard of flaws in the process of determining whether a dog is a restricted breed.
If a council serves a notice to declare a dog a restricted breed, owners may contest this by arranging a breed and temperament assessment. If the dog fails both, it is declared a restricted breed. Carlin said assessors do not need to provide reasons for their claims.
“It’s just a box they tick,” she said. She agreed with Kell this would be a good area for regulatory reform.
The inquest continues on Tuesday.