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Moree is home to some of the state's most poorly-behaved pooches, according to state government data. Reported dog attack incidents are recorded quarterly by the Office of Local Government, and a recent analysis has shown Moree's canine carers are some of the state's worst when it comes to heeling their hounds. There were a total of 30 reported dog attacks in Moree in the first quarter of this year alone, from January 1 to March 31, 2019, and this figure appears to be the standard, with 28 attacks from October to December and 29 reported in July to September 2018. That's a total of 87 attacks since July 1 last year, which is significantly higher than the rest of the region and among the highest in the state. A dog attack can include any incident where a 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. During the nine-month period, from July 2018 to March 2019, five people have been "seriously" attacked by dogs. A serious attack is when the injury to a person resulted in medical treatment, hospitalisation or death. There were 48 "less serious" attacks (involving a person where no injury required medical treatment) and 88 animals attacked over this time. Moree Plains Shire Council's environment and compliance manager Dane Graham said while dog attacks are an issue in the shire, some of the high figures can be attributed to an increase in reporting. "Council believes that we do have an issue with dog attacks in the Moree Plains Shire Council area but it is also an area where council is seeing community improvement," he said. "The reason why our council is experiencing high dog attack statistics is not purely because we have a high number of attacks but is also attributed to the community being forthcoming with complaints. "The high statistics show that people are coming forward and reporting dog attacks to council." With just over 7700 microchipped dogs in the Moree Local Government Area, 30 attacks in three months is significant, especially considering a city such as Tamworth, which has a near-40,000 microchipped canines, had only five reported attacks from January to March this year. However, Mr Graham said there are a lot of dogs in Moree that are not microchipped. "Council continues to see a high rate of dogs impounded that are not microchipped but this in increasing over time," he said. "It is quite disappointing as the microchips are what councils use to get in contact with the owner when we pick up a wandering dog. We want the dogs home in the care of their owners and we can do that more effectively if owners get their dogs microchipped." Positively though, the number of micropchipped dogs in Moree has increased since January last year, from 7489 to 7788, which is likely a result of council being proactive in encouraging residents to microchip their pets, with free microchipping days regularly held. Mr Graham said responsible pet ownership is the key to preventing dog attacks. "It is important that all owners demonstrate responsible pet ownership and keep their dogs in their yard or in control on a lead when outside of the yard," he said. "I cannot emphasise the importance of reporting dog attacks to council. Council can only do something about dog attacks if we are made aware of it. "The public should feel safe in the community they live in. Dog attacks are preventable if kept under control by owners." When a dog attack is reported to council and there is sufficient evidence linking a dog(s) to an attack, council may declare a dog to be dangerous, menacing or a nuisance. "Once a dog is declared, it poses specific control requirements on that dog which the owner of the dog has a responsibility to comply with," Mr Graham said. "This is designed to mitigate future dog attacks from these dogs." Dog owners could face fines of up to $1320 if their dog rushes at/attacks/bites/harasses any person or animal. Under the Companion Animal Act 1998 all pet owners must provide lifetime protection by microchipping and registering their pet. Pets can be registered online or at any council office.

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