Scott Yaxley shows his dog bite wound.
Camera IconScott Yaxley shows his dog bite wound. Credit: Supplied/Bruce Hunt

Dog attack man fuming

Julian Wright, Hills GazetteHills Avon Valley Gazette

The Darlington resident is fuming after run-ins with two separate dogs on the same day.

Mr Yaxley was riding his bike on Coulston Road on June 16 when a blue heeler on a leash broke free from its owner, who was also pushing her child in a pram, and bit him on the leg.

‘The dog just went crazy as I rode past and attacked me,’ he said.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

‘And it wasn’t just a scratch; the dog sunk its teeth into my leg a good 20mm.’

Nursing his wounds, Mr Yaxley returned home but not long after another two dogs tore through his and a neighbour’s yard, killing three chickens.

‘I couldn’t believe it,’ he said.

‘The two dogs grabbed the chickens on my neighbour’s property and then killed one on my property.

‘The incident on my bike was disappointing, but what happened to the chooks was outrageous; my neighbour was very upset.’

Mr Yaxley said the woman who owned the dog that bit him took full responsibility and paid for his medical bills.

But he wanted to see the owners of the other two dogs reprimanded.

‘The dog that bit me was at least on a leash and there was an attempt to keep it restrained, so I do not want to see it get put down,’ he said.

‘But those other two were out roaming the streets; they need to be kept locked up and under control.

‘People who own dogs like that need to take measures to prevent them from getting out or use a muzzle on them.’

The Dog Amendment Bill includes mandatory microchipping for all dogs, higher penalties for offences and specifically targets dangerous dogs, irrespective of their breed.

Local governments will also have stronger provisions to deal with barking dogs.

Under the proposed legislation, which still has to be passed in both houses of Parliament, from November 1 this year all new dog acquisitions will have to be microchipped.