COUNCILS have vowed to collar irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to walk off leash as the frightening number of dog attacks in NSW can be ­revealed.

The spate of attacks has sparked calls from dog trainers for the abolition of off-leash parks and council orders for rangers to patrol the streets and issue hefty fines to people caught ­walking their ­unleashed pooches.

New statistics obtained by The Saturday Telegraph show there were a staggering 1148 dog attacks reported to NSW councils in just the three months to June this year.

media_camera Barko's Boarding Kennel owner Sue Lopicich died last month after a dog attack. Source: Facebook

That included 654 incidents where animals savaged on people — and not just other dogs.

City of Sydney, Parramatta and Sutherland Shire are among the councils now sending rangers to patrol for dogs being walked off leash.

Dog trainer and behaviour specialist Vicki Austin said even fenced parks dedicated to “off leash dogs” had become dangerous.

“They started out as a bad idea, but the problem is too many obnoxious owners who haven’t trained their dogs take their pets to these parks,” Ms Austin said.

“I’ve heard a number of attacks happening and am worried it’s getting worse.”

Ms Austin, who runs Canine Behaviour and Training, said dogs should have to pass a test before they were allowed to run free in off-leash parks.

‘I don’t recommend my clients go to these parks and any other dog trainer will tell you the same,” she said.

“Just because it’s an off-leash park doesn’t mean your dog should be allowed to do what it wants.”

A Sutherland Shire council spokesman said they had 34 complaints about dog ­behaviour in off-leash parks in the past year alone.

He said the council had issued 171 penalty ­notices to dog owners this year for walking animals off-leash.

“When the message isn’t taken on board, authorised officers will issue penalties of up to $220 to owners walking their dogs off leash outside of designated areas, and penalties of up to $330 can be issued for dogs in prohibited areas, regardless of whether they’re on a leash or not,” the spokesman said.

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said in the past ­financial year the council had issued 230 dog owners with warnings and 23 owners with fines.

Cronulla nurse Kira Gibbs says every time she takes her Maltese-cross ­Bailey for a walk they are harassed by “five or six” other dogs.

“Being such a little dog, Bailey gets spooked when other dogs ­approach her, but other owners think it’s fine,” she said.

A dog that mauled a woman to death at her home in Perth’s south-east was known by neighbours to be aggressive and was almost always locked away from visitors.

Sue Lopicich was found dead in the backyard of her Southern River property on Terrier Place about 1.45pm in early August.

She had several bites to her legs and an arm.