Attacked by Rottweiler

Rottweiler Attack

AN ELDERLY Belmont man has told of his terror as he watched his two beloved dogs attacked by a rottweiler.

Keith Turner, 73, had tied his two staffordshire bull terriers Tank and Indi to a rail out the front of his local milk bar while he went inside to buy the paper on Friday morning.

His dogs were attacked by the much larger rottweiler while he was untying them about 8.30am.

Both staffordshires required immediate veterinary attention, with two-year-old Indi suffering deep puncture wounds to her neck.

Mr Turner said two tubes were inserted into Indi's neck to drain the wounds. She also needed stitches.

He said Tank had the skin ripped from his paw and was suffering pain in his front legs.

"I had just come out of the milk bar and I had just got them untied when this rottweiler came charging up and grabbed the little staffy bitch," Mr Turner said.

"It had the little staffy bitch by the neck and the other staffy intervened and grabbed the rottweiler by the leg, which must have caused it to release its grip because the little staffy eventually got away."

The rottweiler is believed to have been in a nearby front yard when the attack happened.

Mr Turner yesterday described the attack as "vicious', saying he feared for his two dogs' lives.

"It was very scary, when you're my age it becomes even more scary," he said.

"It was very vicious. I didn't see (the rottweiler) until the last minute, I didn't see it get out and I didn't see it coming across the road until it was already there.

"By then it was too late because it had already grabbed on to Indi."

The attack is the third in the Geelong region in just seven days.

A 42-year-old Norlane man was attacked by a staffordshire bull terrier, or staffordshire-cross on Saturday, October 22 and an 83-year-old woman was hospitalised with a leg wound after she was attacked out the front of her home on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Turner said he reported the attack to police, but was told they couldn't do anything about it because it was an attack on a dog and not a human.

He said he then reported the attack to council, but was disappointed when he was told the likely option would be a small fine to the dog owner.

"More needs to be done," he said.

"The trouble is they just blame the dog, but half the time it's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault."

A City of Greater Geelong spokeswoman said the dog-on-dog attack was being investigated by the council who have the authority to issue a fine of up to $385 for a non-serious dog bite.

She said anything more serious is referred to the Magistrates' Court

"Council is investigating the incident and has been taking statements from those involved," the spokeswoman said.

"Appropriate action will be taken following the investigation."

Mr Turner said he hoped the owner of the rottweiler would pay his vet bill, which totalled more than $750.