Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine have been in court in a battle to keep their dog alive.
The couple’s pet, a German shepherd called Chance the Yapper, narrowly avoided being branded a ‘dangerous dog’ at Hornsby Local Court on Thursday.
Karl, 52, and Jasmine, 42, hired leading dog lawyer Anne Greenway in their case against North Sydney Council.
A ‘dangerous dog declaration’ could have led to Chance being euthanized following an incident in Sydney’s Neutral Bay on April 18.
The council agreed to overturn the dangerous dog order and instead imposed a control order, which will be in place for the next four years.
The eight-year-old dog “attacked a person without provocation, causing serious injury,” according to court documents.
Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine have been in court in a battle to keep their dog alive. The couple’s pet, a German shepherd called Chance the Yapper, narrowly avoided being branded a ‘dangerous dog’ at Hornsby Local Court on Thursday. Pictured with Chance and their daughter
The documents also revealed that Chance “attacked another dog” during the incident.
The four-year control order requires the Stefanovics to muzzle and leash the dog when walked in public.
The pair must also put up a ‘Warning Dog’ sign at their home in Castlecrag.
In addition, Chance has been ordered to complete “behavioral or socialization training” from a “qualified expert” within six months.
A certificate of completion must be presented to the municipality.
The documents also specify that Chance cannot be left in the care of anyone under the age of 18, and must be kept in a secure area at home to prevent escape attempts.
A ‘dangerous dog declaration’ could have led to Chance being euthanized after an incident in Sydney’s Neutral Bay on April 18
Karl and Jasmine have owned Chance since 2018
The possible punishment for violating a dangerous dog order includes a $16,500 fine, destruction of the dog and five years in prison.
Karl and Jasmine have owned Chance since 2018.
Chance is clearly a beloved member of their family and regularly appears in the couple’s social media posts.
Karl previously said that he wanted to get rid of Chance because Jasmine prefers the dog to her husband.
“I think she (Jasmine) loves him (Chance) more than me,” he told Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty radio show.
‘I just can’t stand him. He’s only nine months old and I want to get rid of him,” the journalist joked at the time, before adding: “Not in a bad way.”
