comment,

I was unimpressed to read Lea Horan’s letter of April 5th, in which she tries to excuse a dog which bit a child on the Town Green. Common decency would suggest that if your dog bites a child, that you should apologise, and try to keep your dog under tighter control. Most people who accidentally frightened a child to tears would apologise profusely, but Lea Horan believes victims of dog bites should be lectured instead. What sort of person reads that article and tries to cast doubt on the child’s parent? Port Macquarie dog owners seem to think they are above both the law and basic courtesy. They seem to forget that a dog which seems small to an adult might be similar in size to a child, and that an animal the same size as you rushing towards you would be frightening, regardless of whether the dog thinks it is being playful. I’ve seen dogs lunge at children, causing them to jump in fright, which the owners seem to find funny, since they don’t think their dog will actually hurt anyone. The original article about the dog bite remarks that “The owners weren’t willing to take responsibility”. Sadly this is the usual low standard of behaviour which I have come to expect from dog owners. Lea quotes the Companion Animals Act 1998 No 87. I notice that in section 16 of that act, “If a dog (other than a dangerous, menacing or restricted dog) rushes at, attacks, bites, harasses or chases any person or animal (other than vermin), whether or not any injury is caused to the person or animal….. the owner of the dog is guilty of an offence”. The maximum penalty is two years imprisonment. Perhaps next time I see a dog harassing some kids, I’ll take photos of the dog and its owner, and make a complaint to the police. Or perhaps, just maybe, Port Macquarie dog’s owners could keep their dogs under control? Russell Wills Port Macquarie

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