‘No excuse’: owner nowhere to be seen as dog attacks twice

By Grace Carter

Dec 19, 2024

A woman’s dog attacked two dogs and bit one of their owners.

A woman was nowhere to be seen the two times her dog attacked, a court has heard.

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Natasha Briggs of Yarrawonga was charged with two counts of being a person in control of a dog that attacked causing non-serious injury, seven counts of owning a dog at large between sunrise and sunset and two counts of owning a dog at large between sunset and sunrise.

Her matter was heard at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court in her absence.

Prosecutor Simon Pogue said Briggs’ black and white border collie cross left two puncture wounds after biting someone on their thumb and palm while they were walking their dog in Mooroopna at about 2pm on January 30.

Briggs’ border collie was at large when it attacked a dog being walked by the victim, who was bitten while trying to separate them.

When at large on a separate occasion, the border collie bit the back left leg of a dog being walked by its owners in Mooroopna at about 5.50am on February 15.

Mr Pogue told the court the border collie had been found at large 15 times in Shepparton and Mooroopna and had been impounded once between May 23, 2022 and July 2.

Briggs’ black and white husky cross had also been found at large 15 times during the same time period and had been impounded eight times.

The court heard Briggs wasn’t present at any time of the offending.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said there was “no excuse” for the dogs to be at large.

He fined Briggs $1500 and ordered she pay council costs of $3000.