Man, 72, fighting for life in hospital after horrific dog attack

A 72-year-old man has been rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries after being mauled by a dog in South Australia – the latest in a horrific spate of attacks.

South Australia Police have confirmed that paramedics were called to a home in Willaston at around 7pm on Monday evening, amid reports the man had been attacked by the pet.

He had been at a friend’s home at the time when he is believed to have fallen. It’s then that police say the dog attacked him and left him with life threatening injuries to his face and neck.

The man was immediately airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and underwent surgery, but his injuries are still believed to be life threatening.

Nine News reports that the dog is believed to have been a bull mastiff, but police are yet to confirm this. According to the news outlet, the local council is aware of the attack and will likely take action today.

It’s sadly the latest in a string of dog attacks in recent months. Just weeks ago a baby girl was reportedly rushed to hospital with facial injuries after being mauled by a greyhound.

According to 9 News, the youngster was attacked at a family home in Cranbourne West, Melbourne. The girl suffered bites to her upper body, including her neck, cheek and shoulder.

She was later confirmed to be in a stable condition. Another woman was also injured and taken to the hospital in a non-life threatening condition.

Currently, laws vary between states over dangerous dogs. Brisbane City Council declares a dog dangerous if it “has seriously attacked a person or another animal, has acted in a way that caused fear to a person or another animal or was declared dangerous by another local government”.

In QLD, a dog that is declared restricted or menacing must wear a disc specifying so around its collar, while the owner must put up warning sign by the entrance to their property. The dog must “always be muzzled and on leash when in public and handled by a capable adult”, and “confined in an enclosure that complies with set regulations”.

Once declared dangerous, the council says “you will be given certain conditions to follow,” which may vary from case to case.

Meanwhile, according to South Australia’s Good Dog site, “if a dog has harassed, chased or attacked a person or another owned animal, council has the authority under the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 to issue a Control Order that would classify that dog to be a Nuisance, Menacing, or Dangerous Dog. These orders will give directions on how the owner is to comply with the order”.

This involves a strict, complex process to establish the circumstances around each order, and for very serious cases, “the council can impose a Destruction Order on a dog”, the site reports.

According to government figures, there were 1,196 dog attacks reported to NSW local councils from July-September 2017.

Read more: Dog attack: 14-month-old toddler dies after being mauled at Victoria property

It comes after twelve-month-old Kamillah Jones was killed by a rottweiler in March last year, while she was being pushed around in a pram by her mum in a street in Inverell, northern NSW. The incident was investigated by police, but no-one was reportedly charged at the time.

Just a day later, a 10-year-old Melbourne girl was rescued by her neighbour after being viciously attacked by what is believed to be a bull mastiff, while her parents were out.

Do you think dangerous dog owners should face tougher penalties?