A representative of Newcastle's companion animals team has said the team is not concerned is about the number of dog attacks being reported in the local government area, saying there has only been a "slight" increase compared to the number of pooches in the city.
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"The statistics at the moment they're constant, there has been a slight increase," City of Newcastle senior ranger Lauren Whitmore said, "But we aren't concerned because that's the message my team and I have been promoting for the past few years: that we need to know about these incidents whether it's a minor attack or a serious attack."
This month, the Newcastle Herald reported the number of dog attack complaints the council's rangers were investigating had progressively increased since 2016. Rangers investigated 204 reports in 2016, which grew to 267 in 2018 and there have already been 232 incidents investigated in 2019.
Ms Whitmore said given that around 44,000 dogs were living in Newcastle, the numbers were not worrying.
"It's one of the highest pet ownership areas in the state," she said.
She said her team also had been encouraging residents to report less serious incidents, which would have been included in the figures.
"It might just be a dog rushing at another dog, a dog scratching or someone being scared of a dog rushing towards them that the owner can't control," Ms Whitmore said. "Even so, these are the kinds of instances that we need to know about. We need to have a chat to the dog owner, we need to educate them in regards to their responsibilities as pet owners."
Council had previously responded to the Herald's request for comment on the figures saying that the companion animals teams was focused on reducing incidents, educating the community and had undertaken 550 patrols this year. The council spokesperson also noted that responsibility for attacks ultimately falls on pet owners.
Ms Whitmore, who was at the opening of the city's first enclosed dog park on Sunday morning, said that in the case of minor incidents rangers could provide the offending dog's owner advice on how to control their dog in situations involving residents who aren't "dog people", appropriate dog exercise areas and tips on how to secure their property.
"We do property inspections and make sure that if dogs do get out it doesn't happen again," she said.
The enclosed dog park in Acacia Avenue Reserve features a separate area for small and inactive dogs, which Ms Whitmore said was implemented to "reduce numbers of dog attacks and incidents" at the new park.
Rangers were on site at the event providing free microchipping, dog care packs and advice about responsible dog ownership.
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