‘Sharks on legs’: Calls to ban dog breed
A federal MP has joined calls to ban the sale of a dangerous dog breed after a series of serious attacks over the past year.
A woman is due to undergo surgery in attempt to save her arm after her two pet Rottweilers attacked her at her Perth home on Saturday.
Two days later, a man was hospitalised after he was attacked by two dogs of the same breed while walking in southwest Sydney.
Minister for Government Services and the NDIS Bill Shorten said he thinks there are multiple dangerous dog breeds that need to be banned to prevent further attacks.
“I went to the funeral of the little girl, one of my constituents, who was mauled by a dog and died in 2012,” he told Today on Tuesday.
“A few breeds are essentially sharks on legs and you should ban some of these breeds.
“It’s been proven that owners can’t control all of them.”
There has been at least one fatal rottweiler attack in NSW this year after a five-week-old baby suffered serious head injuries on the NSW south coast in February.
Mia Riley was asleep at her grandfather’s home in Moruya when the family’s two rottweiler dogs suddenly turned violent.
Neighbours describe nightmare scene
Nikita Piil’s painful screams echoed through the street on Saturday afternoon, alerting those nearby to the nightmare that was unfolding.
The 31-year-old was being attacked by her two dogs, Bronx and Harlem, at her Perth home on Pitta Corner in Success about 4.35pm on Saturday afternoon.
Despite neighbours attempting to stop the brutal attack, the dogs continued to maul the woman until police intervened.
She suffered serious injuries to her arms and leg and remains in a serious condition at the Royal Perth Hospital.
Neighbour Bryn Spencer said he and another neighbour heard Ms Piil’s screams for about 10 minutes before they intervened.
He said they attempted to stop the attack but couldn’t access her property without endangering themselves.
“I was contemplating jumping the fence and getting in there to rescue her but obviously there were two rottweilers in there … I would have been ripped apart,” he told the ABC.
“All I could really do was watch this girl get mauled apart while I was smacking the fence with a bat … while (another neighbour) was hosing the dog.”
Speaking to 7News, Mr Spencer said he pleaded with police to shoot the dog.
“I said you need to get your gun out and shoot this dog, it’s going to kill her,” he said.
What to do during a dog attack
