A declared dangerous dog who escaped from his enclosure at the Cowra Pound recently, killing the ranger's kelpie, has a history of violent attacks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cowra Council Acting general manager, Graham Apthorpe has spoken out in regards to the killing.
"The dog attacked and severely mauled the kelpie after escaping from his cage," Mr Apthorpe said.
"The attacking dog is a declared dangerous animal."
Luke Sheehan, manager of building and regulatory services is in charge of Cowra's pound services and says the dangerous dog has a concerning history.
"This dog has shown a great amount of repeated aggressive behaviour," he said.
"It has been involved in other known, fatal attacks with animals."
Mr Sheehan says that council has tried to get into contact with the owner of the dog since the incident.
"We hope that we will be able to make contact by the end of the day," he said.
The dog has been in the pound since an attack led to it being seized.
Police Inspector Gerard Powell says police attended that incident involving the dog.
"At about 9pm on February 28 police attended a Back Street residence to find the dog with a dead kitten in its mouth," he said.
"Police spoke to the owner of the dog who told them 'where to go' before declaring that his dog was chained up.
"The dog was found not to be chained up, and the ranger was called."
The dog had been in the pound for 90 days, as it could not be released due to housing concerns.
"Council's aim is to have impounded dogs back to their homes as soon as possible.
"Although, if there is reason to believe that the dog will not be contained responsibly at home, the council can hold them until that is rectified," Mr Sheehan said.
The issue has been inflamed on social media due to photos of the dead animal as well as the declared dangerous dog being posted by members of the community.
A picture shows the dog being petted through the fence.
"It could appear to be friendly toward people, but an attack on an animal is still an attack and the owner is still responsible for their animal," Mr Sheehan said.
Council will work with the owner in regards to the future of the animal - which is still alive - and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
