The two dogs that attacked a three-year-old girl in Hazelbrook last Thursday afternoon are still being held at the Katoomba RSPCA shelter while their fate is being determined.
Last Friday Blue Mountains City Council issued the dogs’ owner with a “notice of intention to declare the dogs as dangerous under the Companion Animals Act”.
The owner must meet strict requirements if the dogs are to return home, including: erecting a secure enclosure on the property, prominently displaying dangerous dog warning signs at the property, and the dogs must wear a muzzle and be securely leashed at all times when outside the enclosure.
A council spokeswoman said the owner had until the end of the week to respond to the letter.
Putting the dogs down would only be considered by council if the owner failed to meet or chooses not to meet the requirements.
In the past six weeks the council has received reports relating to dogs, of a similar description, roaming the streets in Hazelbrook.
“On one of these occasions the dogs were alleged to have attacked another dog, on a nearby property. This incident was investigated by council rangers but the offending dogs were no longer present and could not be positively identified by neighbours. There was insufficient evidence to take formal enforcement action,” a council spokeswoman said.
On another occasion a council ranger attended the Red Gum Avenue address, following complaints by neighbours of the dogs roaming, but the dogs were contained at the property at that time and the owner made no admissions, the spokeswoman said.
The council had also sent a letter to the owner that failure to prevent their dogs from roaming, or being aggressive, could result in legal action.
The girl was in the backyard of her grandmother’s Hazelbrook home last Thursday when she was bitten by the family’s two Rottweilers.
Blue Mountains Police Local Area Command Acting Inspector Mick Magill said the girl sustained serious facial injuries and numerous bite marks across her body.
She was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a serious but stable condition.
“It was an afternoon scene in the sun playing with everybody and the child walked over to the corner and the dogs attacked the child,” Acting Insp Magill said.
“There was nothing untoward done by the child, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“She’s a young girl with horrific injuries. They’re not life threatening but she will be scarred for life.”