OCTOBER 19 2018 – 3:11PM
ACTION: The Koala Action Group has called for owners to leash their dogs when out and keep them properly enclosed at night to stop attacks on koalas. Photo: Supplied
REDLAND City Council is being swamped with complaints about dogs, with the authority getting more than 10 reports a month of dogs hurting people or other animals.
Figures from Redland City Council show that council received 103 reports of dogs hurting people or other animals from January to late September.
Of those, 15 dogs were euthanised and 16 declared as either dangerous or menacing.
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A council spokesperson said 12 of the offending dogs could not be found but fines or compliance notices were issued to 38 owners.
A total of 22 cases about aggressive dogs were dropped by council after complainants chose not to pursue dog attack investigations, the spokesperson said.
Cr Wendy Boglary said council needed to hire more dog control officers to address the issue, with a wildlife group also worried about the problem.
Redlands Koala Action president Debbie Pointing said one koala, a healthy male who had lived at Cleveland’s Oyster Point, had been mauled to death, with other koalas also hurt in attacks.
She encouraged owners to keep their dogs leashed to help protect koalas roaming from tree to tree during breeding season.
“Sadly koalas are still being killed by dogs in the Redlands, even though we know most residents try to do the right thing, but obviously we need to do better,” she said.
Ms Pointing said Redlands koala population had been significantly reduced since the beginning of last decade, when at least one koala was killed each week in dog attacks.
“Whilst there are less koalas killed by dogs than back then, there are now so few koalas left we can’t afford for this to happen and it can be quite easily prevented,” she said.
Last financial year, the number of complaints about dogs acting aggressively or attacking people or animals reported to council rose 13 per cent.
Redlands residents have voiced concerns that not enough is being done by Redland City Council officers to control the problem.
Ormiston man Gavin Druitt, whose Jack Russell fox terrier was almost killed by an unrestrained rottweiler in August, said council’s investigation process into aggressive dog complaints was a joke.
“We should not have to fight so hard for common sense justice and for council to appropriately manage the ongoing aggressive dog issues in the local area,” he said.
https://www.redlandcitybulletin.com.au/story/5696790/council-in-dog-of-an-issue/?cs=213
