A NANNUP man has been fined after his unregistered dog attacked a puppy last month.
Leslie Mark Heckingbottom was walking Max, his nine-year-old staffordshire bull terrier cross, near Nannup Recreation Centre at 5.30pm on October 20.
At the time the dog was not registered and not on a leash.
City of Busselton senior ranger Owen Anderton told the court Max charged at a 10-month-old spaniel being walked by its female owner and attacked it, leaving it with multiple puncture wounds.
“Mr Heckingbottom was forced to lie on his dog to restrain it,” Mr Anderton said.
A local veterinarian had to operate on the puppy to repair his injuries.
Heckingbottom pleaded guilty to failing to register a dog with the local authority, having control of a dog that attacked an animal and caused injury and permitting a dog to be in a public place without being held by a leash.
He appeared visibly upset in court and expressed his remorse for the incident.
Magistrate Dianne Scaddan acknowledged Heckingbottom’s early pleas of guilty, his remorse and his efforts to register the dog with the shire after the attack.
She imposed the minimum fine of $200 on both the failure to register a dog and the permitting a dog to be in a public place without a lead charges.
For the offence of the attack, Magistrate Scaddan said the nature of the injuries merited a fine larger than the $400 minimum.
A $600 fine was served along with court costs of $169.10 and compensation of $975.30 to cover the victim’s veterinary bills.
The maximum fine for being in control of a dog that attacks a person or animal and causes injury is $10,000.
