Attack forgiven

By Melissa Meehan and Danielle Galvin
THE step-father of a young girl mauled by a dog on Tuesday night says he doesn’t hold a grudge against its owner.
The dog will be put down as soon as possible after the owner signed the dog over to the council.
Four-year-old Katie was out of surgery and expected to make a full recovery on Wednesday afternoon when stepdad Dale Morrison spoke to the News.
She was flown to the Royal Childrens Hospital with serious head injuries after she was set upon by the unregistered six-month-old pup.
“Obviously, it’s been a tough time for us,” Mr Morrison said. “But I would like to clear up that it was a friend’s dog. Our friend visits and stays with us on a regular basis and brings the dog – we weren’t looking after it.”
He also hit back at claims that the dog was allowed to roam free in their backyard.
“The dog got out,” he said.
“We still don’t know how, but he was locked up in the backyard with the rest of the dogs, and Katie was coming into the house for dinner when she was attacked.”
Mr Morrison said Katie’s family held no grudges against the owner of the dog.
“It is not his fault, it’s the dogs fault,” he said.
Advanced paramedics arrived at the Ryan Road property not long before 7.30pm to find the girl conscious, very distressed and being comforted by her mother.
“We administered pain relief through a nasal inhaler before intensive care paramedics put a drip in her arm and gave her stronger pain relief which made her more comfortable,” advanced life support paramedic Mike Jevons said.
“She was flown to the Royal Childrens Hospital in a serious condition.”
Cardinia shire rangers were called to remove the dog from the Ryan Road property about 8.30pm to find paramedics, police and the air ambulance already there.
Council’s compliance services manager Alan Giachin said the council took incidences of dog attacks seriously and that the dog was being held at a pound in Cranbourne.
“Investigations into the incident are continuing,” he said. “The dog will remain in council’s possession until the conclusion of the investigation.”
Shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the dog, believed to be a Rhodesian ridgeback, was not a common breed.
Rhodesian ridgebacks, originally from southern Africa, were bred to hunt lions and other game.
This is the first dog attack in the shire this year following more than 100 attacks last year.
Nine dogs were destroyed as a result of those attacks.