By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne East family is seeking legal advice after being charged over an alleged dog attack on neighbouring sheep.
Their nine-year-old rottweiler Sophie has been seized and impounded for more than six weeks by Casey Council since being captured in the sheep paddock on 23 July.
Casey Council has alleged that two sheep were killed and three seriously injured by two dogs. The other dog is yet to be found.
Sophie escaped the family’s yard when a fence was damaged by a tree during storms the night before the incident, owner Angela Duffield said.
She says Sophie is placid, old and unable to run due to “two bad back hips”. The dog is incapable of attacking sheep, Ms Duffield says.
“It’s gone on for too long, and Sophie has lost a lot of weight compared to when she went in.
“I just hope that anyone who is going through the same thing gets onto it straight away.”
The council has charged a 44-year-old Cranbourne East man with five counts of serious dog attack, one count of allowing a dog to be at large, one count of an unregistered dog wearing registration tags and one count of failing to renew dog registration.
He faces fines of up to $6342 for each count of serious dog attack and $3171 for failing to register.
In a statement, the council stated that the dog remained in “Council care” until the matter was resolved in court.
The matter is listed for mention at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 21 September.
Casey is requesting any information on the whereabouts of the second dog – described as a white-and-brown mastiff cross – to call 9705 5200.
