Elderly woman, 72, dies after being mauled by pet dog

A woman has died in hospital after being attacked by her pet dog at home in New South Wales.

New South Wales Police confirmed that the 72-year-old, along with her 74-year-old husband, was mauled by the canine on Thursday with the woman sadly dying a short time later.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Wilton, around 80km south west of Sydney, at about 1.30pm yesterday following reports of a dog attack.

Upon arrival officers found the couple with lacerations and bite marks after being mauled by their dog which, according to 7 News, they had owned for three years.

Both the woman and man were treated at the scene for their injuries before being taken to Liverpool Hospital. However the woman’s condition deteriorated and she passed away.

The dog, believed to be a large cross-creed, Bullmastiff cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier, according to 7 News, has been seized by Wollondilly Council Rangers.

A report is set to be prepared for the coroner as inquiries continue into the attack.

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

The devastating news comes just months after a 72-year-old man was rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries after being mauled by his dog in South Australia.

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.

Just weeks prior to that 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”.

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