Three dogs that beat a 90-year-old woman to death escaped and attacked another person a week earlier, leaving the council’s initial response inadequate, a coroner has found.
Ada ‘Sally’ Holland died from her injuries after three dogs escaped from a property and mauled her at Collingwood Beach, about 200km south of Sydney, on March 29, 2020.
The court was told in the week leading up to Ms Holland’s death that the three dogs had previously been reported to Shoalhaven Council after escaping from the same property and attacking another person.
Ada ‘Sally’ Holland (right) died from her injuries after three dogs escaped from a property and mauled her at Collingwood Beach, about 200km south of Sydney, on March 29, 2020
A court was told in the week leading up to Mrs Holland’s death that the dogs had previously escaped from the same property and attacked another person (one of the dogs in the photo)
Coroner Carmel Forbes told the NSW Coroners Court the response to the attack which happened a week before the fatal mauling was ‘inadequate’.
“It was really a missed opportunity by the municipality to prevent the attack a week later,” she said on Friday.
“The municipality should have at least ensured that the dogs were secured in the yard.”
The owners of the three dogs had already been visited by rangers before the attack because they had not registered the three dogs.
Ms Forbes noted in her findings that the council had made changes since Ms Holland’s death.
“The Council has implemented a zero-tolerance policy towards non-compliance with registration,” Ms Forbes told the court.
The owners of the three dogs were fined just $10,000 for their negligence in failing to properly secure their dogs on their property, which resulted in Ms Holland’s death.
Coroner Carmel Forbes told the NSW Coroners Court the response to an attack by the dogs that occurred a week before the fatal mauling was ‘inadequate’
Ms Forbes made her recommendations to both the council and the Office of Local Government, aimed at preventing another vicious dog attack.
“Primarily to the CEO of Shoalhaven Council, the council is reviewing its procedures and training for rangers responding to reports of dogs leaving or attacking their yards,” Ms Forbes told the court.
It recommended that the council design and implement a new training program for rangers who attend calls about dangerous dogs.
Ms Forbes recommended that the Office of Local Government consider conducting a public awareness campaign about the dangers posed by specific dog breeds.
In her recommendations, Ms Forbes also noted that no penalties have been imposed on owners who fail to secure their dogs and then attack a member of the public.
“The Office of Local Government must assess the adequacy of the statutory conditions relating to the maximum penalty,” the court heard.
John Holland, Mrs Holland’s third-born son, said the coroner’s recommendations were welcome but his mother would not back down.
“You just can’t get it out of your system… the tragic nature of the brutality of it, the whole environment, the facts behind it, you just say this is happening on TV, it’s not happening to you. family,” Mr Holland told AAP.