By NATALIE GALLENTI
A MELTON father is seething after his three-year-old daughter had part of her ear bitten off by a neighbour’s dog.
Dwane Stafford told Star his daughter Madeline was climbing the fence in her backyard on Tuesday, 11 June, when the neigbour’s dog, a German shepherd, jumped up and bit off part of her ear, just missing her eye.
Mr Stafford said the toddler had to be rushed to Sunshine Hospital and would require plastic surgery in the future.
The irate father, who does not live at the property with his children, said he reported the incident to Melton City Council on the day of the incident but had not heard back from them when he contacted Star last Thursday.
Mr Stafford welcomed recent comments from Premier Denis Napthine that dangerous dog laws and ownership restrictions could be reviewed, but said there needed to be restrictions on owners who register their dogs to also adequately train them and warn neighbours that their pet may be dangerous.
“If you are going to register your dog then you should have to take it to obedience school,” he told Star.
“A dog can be as bad as a loaded gun.
“I’ve always told them (his daughters) you don’t touch other people’s dogs… it took an inch off her ear. Now she’s disfigured for life.
Mr Stafford said the council had not shown any concern when he reported the incident and he was forced to have the dog removed by contacting the pound himself.
“The thing is it’s a dog and it’s registered, so there are no laws. I’m scared that I’m going to do something stupid because the system is pushing me that way.”
Melton Council’s Compliance Manager, Ian Stewart, said the council was aware of the incident and is currently investigating.
“Council officers have been in contact with Mr Stafford on a number of occasions over the past week,” he said.
