THE owner of a puppy killed by another dog on Chelsea Beach is calling on people to be more cautious with their pets.
Ms Curry says she was walking her young puppy along Chelsea Beach when it was attacked by another dog. The puppy was sadly killed.
The community has rallied to support Ms Curry, but she wants more to be done to prevent it happening again. “I’ve had so many locals reach out to me after the attack of our puppy on the Chelsea Beach, and had no idea the number of dog related issues that others had experienced. In listening to their stories, we’ve felt supported and have been able to share our grief with others who have been through similar things,” she said.
“I was chatting to a couple of locals on the beach last Tuesday evening and just between us we had heard of five dog attacks on the beach in the past ten days. Many attacks seem to go unreported as the owner often walks away without providing details, which is part of my concern. What kind of dog owner thinks it’s ok to walk away when their dog has obviously harmed another dog?”
Kingston Council says that it has only received one report of an attack on Chelsea Beach this year. “The report related to an incident at approximately 8.30pm on Friday January 14 on the sand near Chadwell Grove. Unfortunately, an 8-month-old Cavoodle died at the vets after sustaining serious injuries,” council said. “A detailed investigation was launched by our local laws team and is ongoing.”
Ms Curry says that owners need to be more careful about walking their dogs off-lead, to avoid another situation like hers. “There are so many wonderful dog owners and of course most of them do the right thing. Dog owners, please be responsible for your dogs, including when an incident occurs,” she said.
“If there is one thing I could encourage to make our community safer, if you witness an attack, please step in and help by getting details or a photo. It is important every attack is reported and multiple attacks can then be noted. And council, please start taking this more seriously so we can work towards a solution for keeping our community safe.”
In a statement, Kingston Council has assured the community that all reported attacks will be looked into. “Council keeps detailed records and notes on all reported dog attacks. Every dog attack reported to Council is investigated thoroughly. Council encourages all members of the community who witness any dog related attacks to report them to Council on 1300 653 356 so they can be promptly investigated,” it said.
In most beach areas along the Kingston foreshore, including Chelsea, dogs are allowed off-lead from sunrise to 10am during summer. To see a full breakdown of when dogs are allowed on local beaches visit kingston.vic.gov.au/Services/Pets/Dog-ownership/Dog-Access-to-Foreshore-Reserve
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 16 February 2022