The death of a toddler in a dog attack has left a city in Central West state heartbroken and experts are divided over the need for tighter restrictions to prevent future attacks.
Two-year-old Jyedon Pollard was attacked Tuesday morning by a Rottweiler and a farm dog outside the Country Gardens Motel in Cowra where he lives with his mother and sister. He was treated in Cowra before being flown to Children's Hospital in Westmead where he died.
Jyedon is the second child to be killed in a dog attack in 18 months, following the death of a five-week-old boy in July 2021. More than 2,600 people have been attacked – two fatally – by dogs across NSW in the year to July. On Instagram, his mother Takisha described Jyedon as "the sweetest little boy".
Another family member wrote: “I know you only [have] two years to live, but you will spend the rest of your life in heaven. The family [will] miss you very much, and I will miss you even more. Rest in peace Bubba loves you very much." Cowra Mayor Bill West said the small town was in shock.
"But more importantly, the community will offer greater stability and support to the family and friends of the poor poor boy," he said. "This is a very tragic situation. I think the community will unite and support them.”
The dogs have been confiscated by the rangers. NSW Police Superintendent Bob Noble said the two dogs would remain in custody while police investigated the case.
"It was a series of extremely unfortunate circumstances that led to this tragedy and it was a superhuman effort to try to save his life," Noble said.
There were more than 2600 dog attacks recorded in NSW during the last financial year. Data from April to June showed North Sydney had the highest number of attacks per 10,000 dogs in Sydney, with 16 attacks. Walcha, in the western state, also has 16, followed by Byron with 14 and Leeton with 13, according to data from the local government office.
Experts warn the tragedy could repeat itself at any time without proper education for dog owners.
Dr Kersti Seksel, a veterinarian and registered specialist in behavioral medicine, said supervision – meaning being within reach of a dog with small children, who could inadvertently provoke an animal, was paramount.
"Kids, especially toddlers and young children, move around really fast and scream and poke, it's very uncomfortable [for dogs]."
No law can prevent all fatal dog attacks, he said. “I am quite comfortable with NSW regulations.”
Rejecting the idea that some breeds are inherently more dangerous than others, Seksel said: "The bigger the dog, the greater the potential for harm."
Emma Hurst's Animal Justice Party said NSW should tighten restrictions on guard dogs.
"Anyone can train their dog to be dangerous, for example by saying 'I keep my dog as a guard dog'," he said.
"Allowing animals to be trained to attack humans creates a huge risk for the entire community."
Dogs banned in NSW include pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, and Argentine and Brazilian fighting dogs. Earlier this year, tightened laws meant that restricted dogs could not be sold or given away, and accepting ownership was illegal.
In Victoria, only licensed security guards are allowed to train animals as guard dogs, with training limited to “large guard breeds” such as the German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Doberman.
"We have to put in place restrictions similar to those in Victoria to stop just anyone from owning a dog and train the dog to be dangerous and offensive," Hurst said.
There is no suggestion that the dog that killed Jyedon on Tuesday was trained as a guard dog. This article was written by EDUKASI CAMPUS.