By VANESSA VALENZUELA
THE owner of a pitbull cross that killed St Albans toddler Ayen Chol said he would have never accepted the dog if he knew it had the potential to harm others.
Four-year-old Ayen Chol died after being mauled by the dog in her family home last August.
The man who was responsible for the dog at the time, Lazor Josevski, told the Victorian Coroners’ Court last week that the dog, Rex, was “obedient” and had never shown any signs of aggression.
“I was not expecting Rex would bite anyone,” Mr Josevski said.
“We are good people and have brought this dog up in a good environment.”
Mr Josevski, 58, told the court that Rex had regular contact with children as young as two years old and never left the backyard.
He said if Rex had ever shown any signs of aggression he would have put him down.
The dog had not been desexed or microchipped and was not registered with Brimbank City Council.
Mr Josevski said he had never heard of the rules which apply to owners of restricted breed dogs.
In a statement read to the court, Ayen’s mother Jacklin Ancaito described the attack on her daughter as the scariest moment of her life.
“The dog was going crazy biting anyone it could see,” she said.
Ms Ancaito said the dog had grabbed her daughter by the face and neck and started shaking her from side to side.
“I heard her scream once and I never heard her scream again,” Ms Ancaito said.
“I don’t think this will ever get out of my head. This incident will be with me forever.”
Mr Josevski pleaded guilty to four charges over the fatal attack and was fined a total of $11,000 last month.
New laws, introduced after Ayen’s death, mean owners of dangerous dogs that cause death can now face penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
