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Canberra's domestic animal authority responded to a whopping 218 dog attacks between January and late May, new figures reveal, including 94 on humans. A Transport Canberra and City Services spokeswoman said the attacks between January 1 and May 23 ranged from minor nips to serious bites. Eighty dogs were seized in the same period. Sixty-six incidents involved an attack on a person, 124 were attacks on animals and 28 involved both a human and an animal. "Dog attacks are the highest priorities for response by Domestic Animal Services rangers," the Transport Canberra and City Services spokeswoman said. "Domestic Animal Services has a 24 hour/seven day week operation for the community to report dog attacks via Access Canberra on 13 22 81. "If an attack is in progress, the community is urged to contact ACT Policing on ... 000." A Canberra woman on Friday pleaded with pet owners to keep their dogs on a leash after her dog was attacked by another dog. It took three people to separate them, she wrote on Facebook. "I ended up kicking the dog at one point to try to get it away and I’m now at the hospital awaiting stitches for the huge gash in my leg," she said. "My dog was lucky to come out with a small cut to his head but I feel that a smaller dog wouldn’t have been so lucky. He did absolutely nothing wrong and was on a lead and even whilst being attacked he just squealed. "I’m also 24 weeks pregnant so to say this has been a traumatic morning is an understatement." On the same day, a Canberra couple told Nine and WIN news their jack russell was euthanased after being attacked by a roaming dog in Wanniassa. "Just this week I have heard of several other dog attack incidents, at least two of which involved personal injury," Canberra Liberals MLA Nicole Lawder wrote on Facebook. It's been a horror year for dog attacks in the ACT. Eight attacks were reported to Domestic Animal Services in a single May weekend, prompting officials to call on pet owners to ensure their dogs were always appropriately socialised, behaved, monitored and under control. The number of attack investigations conducted by Domestic Animal Services has skyrocketed in recent years, increasing from 85 in 2012-13 to 93 in 2013-14, 245 in 2014-15, 360 in 2015-16 and 389 in 2016-17. The ACT government introduced new legislation in December 2017 aimed at protecting the community from dangerous dogs and to hold irresponsible dog owners accountable. The legislation targeted irresponsible dog owners by imposing greater fines and penalties, greater seizure and informant powers, and more effective provisions to reduce illegal breeding and increase compliance with mandatory desexing. Amendments introduced in March would mean anyone handling a dog was responsible for its behaviour, not just its registered owners.

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