A Mooroopna woman must pay thousands of dollars after her partner’s dog escaped from her backyard and mauled a smaller dog.
Zoe Smith, 20, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to charges of a dog attacking an animal causing serious injury, having a dog at large between sunset and sunrise, two charges of failing to register a dog and two charges of failing to register a cat.
City of Greater Shepparton prosecutor Simon Pogue told the court a mastiff Rottweiler cross escaped from the yard at Smith’s home and attacked a Jack Russell dog on July 5 last year.
The two dogs had to be separated by the Jack Russell’s owner and another bystander.
The Jack Russell received lacerations around its neck, as well as puncture wounds from the attack.
It has since recovered from its injuries.
Mr Pogue said when council officers spoke to Smith, she said the mastiff Rottweiler cross belonged to her partner, who was not living at her house.
However, under the Domestic Animals Act, she is responsible for the dog if it is living at her property.
Two unregistered cats and another unregistered dog were also found at the property when officers visited.
The mastiff Rottweiler cross dog was seized by council officers and has been impounded ever since.
The court was told the impound fees had reached $11,000, but Mr Pogue conceded that the case had dragged out through no fault of Smith’s.
Smith’s solicitor Anthony Coote told the court the dog was at Smith’s house and the owner was not able to pick it up.
“It wasn’t her dog, but the (Domestic Animals) Act deems it hers,” he said.
Magistrate Peter Dunn fined Smith $2500, and ordered her to pay $131.50 in court costs.
She was also ordered to pay $1700 in legal fees for the council, as well as paying $2110 compensation to the owner of the Jack Russell for vet bills from the attack.
Mr Dunn, however, did not order Smith to pay the $11,000 in shelter fees.
“People become very attached to their pets. It’s very traumatic if they ... are injured,” Mr Dunn said.
“Every (animal) owner has an obligation to ... make sure they are kept securely and can’t injure others.”
Smith also pleaded guilty to two charges of thefts from shops and two of committing an indictable offence while on bail for a separate matter.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund told the court Smith stole $306.75 worth of items from Shepparton Kmart on July 14.
She also stole $536.45 worth of items, including a television, Bluetooth speaker and grocery items from Coles in Vaughan St, Shepparton, on the same day.
Police later recovered the items from her home and they were returned to the stores.
Mr Coote said his client spent the weekend in police cells between being arrested on a Friday and fronting the court on a Monday.
He asked that the magistrate take this time into consideration, as well as Smith’s young age and that she had no priors.
Smith was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order that includes 50 hours of community work.