Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter such as drug possession, drink driving or common assault, or accused of something as serious ...
Category: Dangerous Dog Cases
“The Mother of All Backflips”: Baird Back Tracks on Greyhounds
The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry found that greyhounds bred for racing suffer terrible cruelty in this state. The report of the investigation – which was carried out by Justice Michael McHugh – was delivered to the government on June 16 this year. Cruelty in the greyhound industry The report’s ...
Dog Attacks: The Liability of Owners
An eight-year-old girl has lost her hand after being bitten by a dog on the weekend. According to news reports, the girl was playing with other children at around 3pm on Saturday afternoon under the supervision of an adult, when she stuck her hand through a gap in a fence to pat the dog. The ...
High Court Spares Izzy’s Life
In February, we wrote a blog about the intriguing story of Izzy, the Staffordshire terrier on death row in Victoria whose case went all the way to the High Court, making legal history. Background After escaping from her home in 2012, Izzy and another dog attacked a woman, lacerating her finger. The local council sought ...
Save Izzy! A Family’s Quest to Save Their Dog’s Life
Legal history has been made in Victoria after a family was given permission to appeal their pet pet dog’s death sentence to the High Court of Australia. The Staffordshire terrier, named Izzy, escaped from the family home and bit a woman on the finger in 2012. The incident led to charges being laid against Izzy’s ...
What are the penalties for a dog attack?
Recent changes in the Companion Animals Act 1998 have increased the penalties for dog attacks in NSW. The penalties since 19th November 2013 are as follows: Section 16 Companion Animals Act: Dog Attacks 16(1) Dog attacks generally There is a maximum penalty of $11,000 for owner’s of dogs that rush at, attack, bite, harass or ...
NSW Councils given broad power to declare dogs ‘menacing’
The Companion Animals Amendment Act 2013 which came into effect on 19th November 2013 introduces several new provisions to regulate dogs that are considered to be aggressive. ‘Menacing Dogs’ The most significant change is the introduction of a new category called ‘menacing dogs’. The new section 33A of the Companion Animals Act 1998 defines a ...
Can I Fight A Dog Destruction Order?
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 there are a number of rules and regulations that dog owners must comply with. If your dog behaves in a certain manner or is considered dangerous, you will have further restrictions to comply with. In extreme cases, or if your dog has been involved in an incident where a ...
What does the Companion Animals Act say about Dogs in Public Places?
As a dog owner, you have certain responsibilities when your animal is in public. If your dog is classified as a dangerous dog these responsibilities increase, but even owners of non-dangerous dogs have a number of different rules they need to abide by if they want to avoid a fine or criminal proceedings. The law ...
Our Recent NSW Criminal Court Results – Non Conviction Orders
A criminal conviction can have a serious impact on your future, but with the right legal help it can be possible to avoid a conviction, even for relatively serious cases. A Section 10 order (now section 10 dismissal or conditional release order) is a finding of guilt without a criminal conviction, and judges or magistrates award ...