The Staffy who mauled a dachshund to death will not be put down, the council has said.
A spokesperson from Cardinia Council, in Victoria, said ‘no further action’ will be taken against ‘Hero’ after more than 200,000 people signed an online petition calling for the dog to be saved.
Kashila Chintamunnee, from Pakenham, Victoria, told how Hero killed her dachshund Coco after he escaped and ran into a park on Windemere Blvd on November 5.
But Hero’s owner Claudia Harrison said three dogs including Coco, another daschund and a Labrador approached her, frightening her son and attacking her Staffy.
A petition calling for the council not to put down Hero (pictured) has received more than 200,000 signatures
‘The other smaller dogs were attacking my dog and they kept snapping at him, that’s when he got hold of one of them and I couldn’t get him off,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
CCTV footage seen by Ten News appeared to back up Ms Harrison’s version of events, showing the three dogs off their leashes and running over to her.
Ms Harrison’s lawyer Michael Faltermaier told the Cranbourne Leader: ‘He is indeed a hero and had to act to protect his owners.’
Kashila Chintamunnee said her dog Coco (pictured) escaped from her home in Melbourne and was mauled to death by as Staffy in a local park
Coco was then killed by Hero (pictured with owner Claudia Harrison) which was photographed covered in blood in the aftermath of the fight
‘Justice for Hero has been achieved,’ Mr Faltermaier said.
Ms Harrison previously said she was forced to grab her six-year-old son and jump on a picnic table to avoid the dogs while Hero, who was on a leash, defended himself.
She said she tried to call out for someone to help her when she noticed a car come out of the house across the road.
‘The owners didn’t realise the dogs had escaped and I told them to get a bucket of water because I couldn’t get my dog off [the other dog],’ she said.
The attack left blood spattered across a pathway in the park in Pakenham near Melbourne
Mrs Harrison (pictured with her husband, Paki) told Daily Mail Australia she was taking her dog for a walk with her six-year-old son when three dogs came up behind her
The mother said that all she was trying to do was protect her son, which is what she was telling Ms Chintamunnee when they took a photo of her and the bloodied dog.
Ms Harrison said she felt sorry for Ms Chintamunnee but that she was just trying to protect her son and her dog.
By the time Ms Chintamunnee arrived, it was too late to save Coco.
‘You will truly be missed my beautiful baby Coco, no words could ever describe how beautiful and loving you were,’ Ms Chintamunnee said
Kashila Chintamunnee posted images showing her clothes and body covered in blood from trying to save her dog
Ms Chintamunnee posted photos of her clothes and body covered in blood on Facebook, saying she battled in vain to save her pet.
She told the Cranbourne Leader that her dog had ‘sniffed’ the other dog when it escaped from her house.
‘My father opened our gate and Coco ran outside and had a sniff of the other dog… and he started mauling my dog,’ she said.
‘The dog had bitten too deep into Coco’s main vessel as he had lost that much blood – I was drenched in his blood that’s how much there was.’
Mr Faltermaier said that his client was deeply saddened by the death of Coco and the incident was a reminder to keep an eye on children and pets at ‘all times’.
Belinda Shipp, who started the Save Hero petition and Facebook page, said the sheer number of supporters had saved the dog.
‘This is why we started the page so everyone could show their love and support in one place, by posting pictures of their dogs and hash tagging #savehero,’ Ms Shipp said.
In just five hours, the petition to save Hero had received almost 15,000 signatures
Coco was buried in the family’s backyard, covered in red roses, so the beloved dog would always be with them