By ALESHA CAPONE
Hillside resident Sheena Panzarino with her dog Jaspa, who was attacked by another canine. 108984 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
A HILLSIDE dog owner has told of the terror she experienced when her beloved pet was attacked by another canine.
Sheena Panzarino said she has spoken out about the incident to make pet owners aware of the risks their dogs could pose to the community, if the animals roamed outside, unsupervised or without a leash.
“If you have got a dog which is going to do something like this, you’ve got to train it,” she said.
Ms Panzarino said she was walking with her spoodle Jaspa on Thursday 24.
Ms Panzarino said she saw two dogs, including one which looked like a Maltese terrier, chasing after a school bus in the distance.
She said the two canines headed for her and the Maltese terrier’s companion targeted Jaspa.
“It went straight into attack mode, there was no sizing up the situation,” she said.
“It grabbed Jaspa in the flank and his fur was coming away.
“I’ve yelled and screamed for the next five or 10 minutes, yelling and screaming for help.”
Ms Panzarino said a man came out of a nearby house and managed to tie the attacking dog to a lamp-post with some rope, as she dialled triple-zero.
Police arrived but said they could not prosecute the attacking dog’s owner, as his actions did not appear to be ‘malicious’.
However, Ms Panzarino said she has notified Melton City Council about the incident and they were investigating.
After the attack, a vet treated Jaspa for shock and gave him an injection for soft tissue damage.
“There was blood on but vet could not find puncture marks,” Ms Panzarino said.
She said the situation had made her worried for other dog owners and children who might not be so lucky.
“I understand it was a very mild attack in the grand scheme of things but we shouldn’t have to be so vulnerable,” she said.
“Since the attack, I have talked to people who say they won’t walk their dog, let their children walk the dog or who always carry a stick when walking their pet.
“People need to know that if their dogs are not a on a lead, they need to stay within catching distance.”
