Czar’s lost reign

By Tania Martin
AN Emerald woman is calling for extra dog patrols, amidst fears of being attacked.
Emese Latter is sick and tired of pet owners not taking responsibility for their dogs, following a spate of incidents at parks across the hills.
Until recently she walked her dog, Czar, a two-and-a-half year-old Doberman, at Emerald Lake Park, through Wrights Forest and Cardinia Reservoir Park.
But Ms Latter said she had been attacked too many times and now feared taking Czar for walks in the hills.
She said the Shire of Cardinia needed to take action to stop dog owners from walking their pets off lead. “When I walk I see two to five dogs loose per day and I have been rushed by them.”
Ms Latter has fibromyalgia and walks daily to help reduce pain.
The condition is caused by over active nerves that trigger muscles spasms. “I have it really bad in my hips and shoulders and when I am jolted I get sever pain,” Ms Latter said.
In the most recent incident, Ms Latter was walking across the pedestrian crossing in Kilvington Drive, Emerald when Czar was bitten on the back of the leg by another dog. She said although the offending animal was on a lead, the child walking the dog had no way of controlling it. “Czar got a fright and jumped forward and I nearly fell,” Ms Latter said.
Council spokesman Paul Dunlop said patrols had increased following reports of Ms Latter’s concerns. He said officers would continue to patrol the area and deal with all reported attacks.
Mr Dunlop said there had been 47 reports of dog rushes or attacks and 102 of dogs off lead in the past 12 months.
He said the reports included 10 in Cockatoo, six in Emerald and 21 in Pakenham. But Mr Dunlop said considering the 14,000 registered dogs in the shire this figure was quite low.
However, Ms Latter said people were not reporting the increasing number of attacks because they believed nothing would be done about it.
Parks Victoria ranger in charge, John Goodman said he had not noticed an increase in people walking their dogs off lead at either Cardinia Reservoir Park or Wright Forest. He said there were signs in place at entrances to the park and at other strategic points highlighting that dogs were to be kept on leads at all times.
Mr Goodman said during regular patrols Parks’ staff approached owners who were walking dogs off lead and requested them to place them back on lead.
“Owners are educated as to the potential issues with children and other dogs at such high use sites, as well as the impact on local wildlife,” he said.
Ms Latter has now given up walking Czar in the hills and instead has travelled as far as Jells Park in Wheelers Hill and Lillydale Lake for the exercise.