A devastated owner is pleading for the local council to hand back his ‘child’ Walter after the dog was seized by authorities.
Warren Peart and his partner had a friend staying on their regional Victorian property in February when his beloved eight-year-old Tasmanian Smithfield came bounding over to say hello.
The woman slapped Walter on the face to move him away, before he nipped back at her hand, causing a few small puncture wounds.
Mr Peart, who works in personal care, immediately treated her hand but said it was fine, with the woman leaving their Welshpool home the next day.
A week later South Gippsland Council authorities cornered him on a street and took Walter away.
He has not been seen in more than 40 days.
‘It’s been dreadful. We don’t have children, he is our child,’ Mr Peart told Daily Mail Australia.
‘This is like your child being taken away from you, and you’re not told where he is and you’re not allowed to visit him.’
Walter, a beloved eight-year-old Tasmanian Smithfield, was taken by a local council and put in a cage for 40 days – with his owners told they cannot visit their ‘child’
The woman had been staying with Mr Peart and his partner over a weekend. They’ve known each other for more than 10 years, and Mr Peart said she wasn’t overly fond of dogs.
‘She was helping us move some things off the verandah. Walter came up to her and she backhanded him and told him to move, he then nipped her hand,’ he said.
‘We dressed her hand, my partner and I work in nursing, in personal care. It appeared fine. The next morning she had some puncture wounds but she drove back to Melbourne and claimed it got infected on the way.’
The woman lodged a complaint with the council, rather than going to Mr Peart and his partner herself, and a week later authorities started following Walter’s owner in their car.
‘They said to me – “we’re seizing your dog because he’s a dangerous dog”,’ Mr Peart said.
‘I could see they were trailing me around town so I led them on a bit of a drive.
‘They then cornered me on a street and said we’re taking your dog, if you don’t let us we’re calling the police.’
Tasmanian Smithfields are known to be wonderful family dogs and being great with children.
Walter nipped a woman on the hand, leaving a few small puncture wounds. South Gippsland Council described him as a ‘dangerous dog’
Mr Peart said the men were ‘bordering on aggressive’ and extremely rude. He said it shocked local people in the quiet area.
It’s since been seven weeks since Walter was taken and he now spends his days locked in a cage.
‘We haven’t been allowed to visit Walter. We’re not allowed to take him for a walk, comfort him. He’s locked in a cage and he’s been there seven weeks,’ Mr Peart told Daily Mail Australia.
He said South Gippsland Council refuse to allow him to see the dog because they could ‘bring wire cutters and take him away’ or ‘threaten shelter staff’.
Mr Peart says that’s ridiculous and he simply wants to see his beloved Walter.
South Gippsland Council told Daily Mail Australia Walter had been involved in two incidents in the past and that’s why they were taking extreme measures with the dog.
Mr Peart said there had only been one similar incident, when he bit a woman’s thumb when he was a puppy.
He’s been told he will not be able to see Walter until he appears in front of a local court in June, which would mean he will be without his ‘child’ for more than 80 days.
Walter has been locked in a cage in a shelter for more than 40 days – with authorities saying his devastated owners won’t be able to see him until his court date in June
A representative for the council admitted the case had taken longer than they’d anticipated to be heard.
All investigations take time due to the time it takes to collate a ‘brief of evidence’, time to review the brief to ensure that all evidence within the brief covers all of the points of proof for the charge/s and then the time to file the charges with the appropriate court,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘ The investigation has been completed and the matter will now be dealt with via the Magistrates Court. A court date has been set and the owner advised. The court date was the earliest available.
‘It’s been dreadful. We dont have children, he is our child,’ Mr Peart told Daily Mail Australia
They said they believe they have ‘no option’ other than to detain Walter for the months because he has been in ‘two other proven dog attacks’. Mr Peart again reaffirmed there had only been one when he was a puppy.
South Gippsland Council say he is being walked daily by a local animal welfare organisation.
A petition has started online to help return Walter to his owners, which has already seen more than 23,000 people sign.
You can sign here.
03 5662 9388
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