by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Springvale man has been ordered to pay compensation after a German Shepherd in his care escaped and horrifyingly mauled another dog.
Luan Cao had been looking after his father-in-law’s ‘Lulu’ for only a few days when she fled his yard on the evening of 15 August 2023.
As Cao tried to put Lulu on a leash, the dog escaped his clutches and ran across the road towards a woman walking three dogs, including toy-poodle ‘Cupid’.
The German Shepherd clasped her jaws around Cupid’s head and shook the small dog.
Despite the efforts of Cao and the poodle’s owner to prise Lulu’s jaws open with their hands, the dog refused to let go. Indeed, Lulu bit down further on the poodle-owner’s hand.
Lulu only relented after a male by-stander intervened and kicked her repeatedly.
Limp, bleeding and growling in pain, the toy-poodle was treated at an emergency vet. Unfortunately she succumbed to her injuries the next day.
Her owner was treated in hospital for a fracture and puncture wounds to her hand. She developed septic arthritis and despite several surgeries, still endures chronic pain in her index finger.
In her victim impact statement, she described ongoing PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks.
As a result of the trauma, she took time off work and was demoted from her managerial role.
She no longer feels safe walking her dogs outside, she stated.
After the attack, Lulu was surrendered to a pound. She was assessed as unsuitable for retraining and was euthanised.
Magistrate Hugh Radford noted a remorseful Cao did everything he could to stop the attack and showed a great level of concern in accompanying the injured Cupid and her owner to the vet.
He also took into account the significant impact on the victim.
An employed chef, Cao stated he was willing but unable to afford compensating the victim for her vet bills, medical expenses and a new dog.
He hadn’t got to know the dog’s nature before the attack, he told the court.
Cao was fined $1200 plus $136 costs without conviction, and ordered onto a payment plan to compensate the victim’s $3154 in vet and medical bills.
Magistrate Radford declined to order compensation for the victim’s $4000 replacement toy-poodle due to insufficient proof of purchase.
