A neighbourhood in Armadale is being held hostage by a pack of ‘aggressive’ dogs.
There were multiple reports of dog attacks in July alone – the same culprits behind all.
One woman was recently cornered and bitten while out jogging in between Gribble Avenue and Seventh Road.
Another woman and her young son were bailed up trying to get to their front door from their car.
There have also been multiple reports of attacks on people and their dogs out walking in local parks and at the nearby primary school – some incidents requiring expensive vet treatments, and many reportedly traumatising the victims.
And when they’re not charging at people and other animals, the pack has been known to go through neighbourhood bins and consume their contents.
In one very concerning online report, the dogs allegedly wolfed down some medicines and toxic household chemicals after rifling through a bin.
After such an extended reign of terror, it’s not surprising that residents are questioning the effectiveness of the City of Armadale’s ranger service.
“We all shouldn’t have to continue to be terrified of walking to our cars, or too scared to walk our dogs, I’m sick of it. The inaction from the council and ranger is getting beyond ridiculous,” one local said.
The City of Armadale’s CEO Joanne Abbiss said rangers had taken action.
“Ranger Services have investigated all reports received and have organised proactive patrols of the area concentrating on the times when the dogs are alleged to be wandering,” she said.
“The City of Armadale currently have three dogs impounded at the Animal Management Facility from the area in question.
“In this case one dog was seized as a result of non-compliance with dangerous dog provisions, and the other two were as a result of an alleged dog attack.
“Until such time as Rangers Services are satisfied that the dogs can be contained in accordance with the requirements of the Dog Act 1976, they will not be released.”
But this is not the first time this year that these dogs have run riot. Community forums detail a history of attacks in the same general area stretching back several years.
Many locals are quick to point out that the dogs themselves are not to blame, and place the fault for the attacks squarely on the shoulders of their owner/s.
The Examiner asked whether the city had been trying to engage with those responsible for the dogs.
“Ranger Services have been working closely with the owner to ensure that the premises are capable of confining the dogs in accordance with the requirements of the Dog Act 1976,” Ms Abbiss said.
Under the Dog Act 1976 an attack that causes injury can attract a penalty of up to $10,000. In many cases, the penalty will be doubled if a dangerous dog is involved.
And in 2013, tougher laws were enacted which mean courts can impose a 10-year jail sentence for owners of dangerous dogs who have killed someone, or put their life in serious danger.
“The vast majority of people are responsible owners. It’s only a few that aren’t. We’re putting people on notice that they need to be responsible and they are responsible for the actions of their pets,” then Local Government Minister John Castrilli said.
But in 2021, a petition was tabled calling for even harsher penalties for dog attacks.
A state parliamentary committee was tasked with investigating.
As part of its preliminary enquiries, the committee requested dog attack statistics from 11 local governments in Western Australia, covering the last five years.
In total, there were 11,861 recorded dog attacks – approximately 216 per local government per year, with many councils advising that there were likely many more that went unreported.
The City of Armadale was not included in the report. But a 2018 survey of Perth councils found Armadale had the fourth highest number of attacks.
Ultimately, the committee found that tougher penalties were not an effective deterrent and that “responsible dog ownership is more likely to be achieved through education and public awareness campaigns”.
They recommended that local governments “find ways to encourage participation in such campaigns or in dog training courses”.
Currently, there is no state-wide education program promoting responsible dog ownership.
Some local governments have created their own education campaigns in an attempt to reduce the number of dog attacks in the community. But the City of Armadale does not yet have such a program.
We asked the city what residents should be doing if they see these dogs, or others, out and about on the streets.
“Stay clear of the animals to safeguard one’s own safety and call the City of Armadale on (08) 9394 5000 to report the dogs wandering (24/7),” Ms Abbiss said.
