Dog owner fined after jogger attack
Timo Fuchs is grateful to be alive, but is covered in scars which tell a frightening story.
The 33-year-old thought he was going to die when two dogs mauled him while he was jogging on the Sunshine Coast in May.
He suffered a broken leg and bite wounds from head to toe after he ran into bushland trying to escape from a Boxer Mastiff and Bull Arab.
"I'm happy to be alive and loving life so that's the most important thing for me.
"You won't see me cycling up any roads that I've never been up before. I'm more cautious now of where I'm going," said Timo.
This morning the dogs' owner, Christopher Ryder was fined $13,000.
And Timo Fuchs hopes the tough penalty serves as a warning to others.
A Nambour Magistrate heard the canines were "looking for an artery" as they attacked the victim's throat and head.
Ryder was fined another $3,000 for not securing and registering his animals, which lived on a property with no gate and inadequate fencing.
It's only the second time a Queensland council has prosecuted a pet owner on the charge of grievous bodily harm. The dogs in this case have since been destroyed.
"We are cracking down and we will continue to crack down. It's all about responsible pet management," said Councillor Jenny McKay from the Sunshine Coast Council.
"I just hope it sends a message to other dog owners to care for your dogs, look after them," said Timo.
While the attack may have left its mark on Timo, he says it reminds him to live each day like it's his last.
