City of Greater Geraldton revokes its dangerous dog declaration against Dozer the labrador

The saga involving Dozer the dog is finally over after the City of Greater Geraldton revoked its dangerous dog declaration against the golden labrador.

Dozer’s case triggered community outrage in August after his owner Jill Weller took to social media when city rangers declared the seven-year-old family pet dangerous following an alleged attack against a woman walking her German shepherd.

The much-loved dog was impounded for two weeks, with Ms Weller fearing at one point he would be euthanised before he was released under stringent conditions.

Dangerous dog declaration conditions include owners displaying warning signs, using a specific collar and muzzle, ensuring proper confinement at home and that the dog is on a leash in public.

Ms Weller lodged an appeal against the matter in the State Administrative Tribunal in a bid to overturn the declaration.

The matter was set for a final two-day hearing, however on Thursday the tribunal revealed the city had revoked the dangerous dog declaration.

This followed an agreement with Ms Weller that Dozer would complete 10 training sessions at a local dog daycare business, and results and observations from that training would be provided.

Ms Weller must also ensure that Dozer was “kept in accordance with the provisions of the Dog Act 1976”.

The proceedings in the tribunal have been withdrawn and the final hearing dates for November 25-26 vacated.

Dozer and his family relocated to Wyndham, in WA’s far north, after he was released from the city’s animal management facility.

However, at the time the canine was still subject to the dangerous dog declaration.

The city maintained community safety was its priority and that “pet ownership comes with clear responsibilities”.

The council claimed Dozer was involved in a previous incident with the same woman and her German shepherd, although Ms Weller says she was unaware of any past reports or complaints.

In a social media post on Friday, Ms Weller said: “Dozer is free! We are relieved to report that Dozer’s dangerous dog declaration has been revoked by Geraldton city council.

“We want to thank the community for the overwhelming support we received — it meant more than we can express.

“We hope our case prompts the Geraldton council to review their procedures for declaring dogs dangerous and provide further transparency for the community in the future.”

The City of Greater Geraldton has been contacted for comment.