Geraldton woman Julie Dwyer to oppose plea to have dangerous dog destroyed after attack

A Geraldton woman whose dog attacked another canine is expected to oppose an application to have her pet destroyed. Julie Dwyer on Monday appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to being responsible for a dog which attacked an animal, causing physical injury. She also admitted to failing to ensure her dog — identified as a dangerous breed — was wearing an appropriate collar and failing to display signs warning about the presence of a dangerous dog at her home. Under the Dog Act, Ms Dwyer was initially facing two additional charges relating to her dog not being appropriately muzzled or tethered, but these were discontinued. The dog is currently at the pound, with prosecutors saying they will apply to have the pet put down. But Ms Dwyer — who was not represented by a lawyer — indicated she would fight to save her dog. It comes after pet owners expressed concerns about the prevalence of dog attacks in Geraldton, with resident Prue Matthews among those who know first hand the injuries an aggressive animal can inflict. “When I had my younger dog, he got attacked several times,” she said. “We were walking on the lead up the foreshore and other dogs weren’t on their lead. There was a staffy that grabbed on to my dog’s back. (Her dog sustained) puncture wounds and bruising and stuff like that.” Broome resident Anna Murphy stopped in Geraldton to let her furry friends stretch their legs before she drove to Perth and said she was always worried about potentially dangerous dogs. “It’s quite frightening because you expect them to be safe when they’re on the lead,” she said. “(Dog attacks come from) either stray dogs or people with aggressive dogs that don’t lead them or muzzle them to keep people safe when they’re walking.” Dog attacks on other canines and people remain a problem in Geraldton, with 203 attacks reported to the council this year as of December 2. Numbers were on par with last year’s figures, with 210 reports of dog attacks received about the same time in 2020. Reports spiked in August last year when 15 animals and 11 people were injured in dog attacks. There were also 26 dog attack reports received in March this year. Under the Dog Act, pet owners can be fined up to $20,000 or jailed for a maximum of two years if the offence relates to a dog designated a dangerous breed. For other dogs, the court can fine owners up to $10,000 or issue a prison sentence of up to 12 months.