DOG attacks are on the rise in the western suburbs in what experts have called a “concerning” and “horrific” trend.

A total of 363 dog attacks – an average of one a day – was reported in Charles Sturt, Port Adelaide Enfield, West Torrens and Holdfast Bay council areas over the 2016/17 financial year, statistics show.

That’s an increase from 211 for 2014/15 and 336 in 2013/14.

Five dogs were destroyed by the three councils over the past year, including two rottweilers, a boxer cross, a bull arab and an American staffordshire terrier cross.

That number was up from three in 2015/16 and one the previous year.

Dog control advocate Alan Timms said dog attacks would continue to increase unless it became harder for people to own dangerous breeds.

“It will keep increasing because there is no legislation to do anything about it,” Mr Timms said.

Mr Timms, of Semaphore Park, runs an online register of dog attacks in Adelaide. His kelpie, Canon, was mauled at a local beach this year.

“Unless it happens to you and it’s your dog that has been ripped apart or killed then you don’t appreciate the seriousness of it,” he said.

“Most people now have large dogs so if you’ve got a small dog these days and you go down the beach, you haven’t got a chance when a doberman has a go at your kelpie.

“So if more and more people are getting big dogs more and more attacks are going to happen and that’s horrific.”

media_camera Alan Timms and his dog Canon, who was injured in a dog attack in March. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Rhea Kavanagh and her dog, Buddy, are still recovering from an attack inside their Novar Gardens home on Monday, August 14.

West Torrens Council is “thoroughly investigating” the attack, which Ms Kavanagh said began when she opened a garage door to collect her bins from the kerb.

She said two dogs, including a staffordshire bull terrier, raced into her house and one grabbed Buddy, a Maltese shih tzu, by the neck.

“I was so traumatised,” Ms Kavanagh said.

“He wouldn’t let go and I grabbed Buddy by his body and I was screaming and then my daughter-in-law tried to pull the dog off but he wouldn’t move.

“She just grabbed a pool cue and hit him on the back and then on the head and he let go but this went for three minutes.



“Then when he let go my dog was just limp, I thought he was dead.”

Ms Kavanagh has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the West Torrens Council to find out who owns the offending dogs to help recoup the $2000 she has paid in veterinary bills.

media_camera Rhea Kavanagh showing stitches Buddy got after the attack. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette

A council spokeswoman said the dogs were with their owner until all evidence had been gathered and a decision could be made.

The council’s compliance officers spoke with Ms Kavanagh and said the owner of the offending dogs would be interviewed.

“Until the investigation into the alleged attack is complete and the findings are handed down, no additional information can be provided at this time,” she said.

Holdfast Bay Mayor Stephen Patterson said while the majority of dog owners did the right thing, there were “still too many who don’t train and socialise their dogs adequately and this can lead to awful, preventable incidents”.

“Our community safety officers patrol our beaches regularly but with nine kilometres of beaches, they can’t be everywhere all the time, and their powers only extend so far,” Mr Patterson said.

Port Adelaide Enfield Council’s acting chief executive Sarah Philpott said the council had improved its systems of reporting dog attacks.

“Destruction orders are issued in the most extreme cases,” Ms Philpott said.

Dog and Cat Management Board chair Dr Felicity-Ann Lewis acknowledged the “trend” of increasing dog attacks, which supported the plan to introduce mandatory desexing, which comes into effect from July 1 next year.

“We are not running away from the fact that it is a concern and it is increasing,” Dr Lewis said.

“Some of the research indicates that both male and female dogs who are desexed are less aggressive so it’s our biggest strategy to address this issue.”

Dog attack statistics:

Charles Sturt – 157 attacks on humans and other animals in 2016/17 (up from 155 in 2014/15)

Port Adelaide Enfield – 130 attacks (up from 105 in 2015/16)

West Torrens – 40 attacks (38 in 2014/15)

Holdfast Bay – 36 attacks (25 in 2014/15)