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Everything changed for Neal Alexander when he agreed to take care of his friend’s dog at his home in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
The 46-year-old business owner said he would mind Wendy Ho’s Akita, named Hachi, on the condition that the dog, which had attacked strangers two years earlier, wear a muzzle.
But a few hours into the pet-sitting shift, Mr. Alexander noticed that Hachi was becoming more agitated and contacted Ms. Ho to ask her to come pick up her pet.
Ms Ho, a 55-year-old optometrist, put her dog in the back of her car and removed its muzzle, but as they were driving away, Hachi jumped out of the Land Rover’s rear window and savagely attacked Mr Alexander.
The attack, which occurred in April 2020, left him in hospital for a week with serious injuries to his arm and back.
Ms. Ho had Hachi euthanized and was fined $1,320 for keeping a dangerous dog.
Neal Alexander (pictured) suffered horrific injuries to his wrist and torso after being mauled by his friend’s dog in April 2020.
Mr. Alexander had agreed to take care of the Akita, Hachi, for his friend Wendy Ho. Ms. Ho appears outside court in 2021
Seven-year-old Hachi (pictured) savagely attacked Neal Alexander in Bondi Junction after he jumped out of Ms Ho’s Land Rover. Akitas are a powerfully built breed of dog native to the mountainous regions of northern Japan, trained to hunt moose, wild boar, and brown bears.
Nearly three years later, the bitter dispute between the former friends returned to court after Ms Ho brought harassment and intentional harm charges against Mr Alexander over a confrontation at his Bondi Junction clinic on March 30, 2022. .
Justice Ross Hudson said the case had “a bit of an unusual history”, telling the court that the current matter had to be seen within the context of the couple’s history.
‘When Mrs Ho got in the car [with Hachi]Mr Alexander raised his hand in farewell and the dog grabbed his wrist,” Hudson Justice said on Friday, February 24.
“The dog mutilated the kidney and stomach area and required a series of stitches to the wrist and stomach. About eight to ten.
‘Then it is said that a series of things happened in his life afterwards.’
Judge Hudson said Mr Alexander had difficulty coping with his injuries, which continue to trouble him.
Against the backdrop of his recovery, the Covid pandemic hit and his housemates moved out, leaving him alone to pay the rent.
Mr Alexander previously told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Ho tried to shake Hachi off her but was initially unable to do so due to her small stature and the large size of the dog. Witnesses called Triple Zero. The gruesome wrist injury of Mr. Alexander is shown
Mr. Alexander’s (pictured) injuries were so severe that he spent a week in the hospital and six more as an outpatient. He still struggles with pain and suffers from PTSD.
Charges against Alexander over a confrontation at Wendy Ho Optique in Bondi Junction last year have been dropped. In the photo, the motorized doors in the front of the store that were damaged.
Unable to work due to his injuries and covid, Mr. Alexander moved back in with his parents for financial and recovery support and began seeking medical help for PTSD and depression.
Meanwhile, Ms. Ho was charged with possession of a dangerous animal and Mr. Alexander was required to appear in court on March 30, 2022 to testify.
Anticipating the stress of the hearing, Justice Hudson said that Mr Alexander had called to try to make an appointment with his GP for that morning, but was only able to arrive around 2pm.
After being questioned at the Sydney Downing Centre, Mr Hudson said Mr Alexander was “really upset and confused” and decided to stop by Ms Ho’s clinic, Wendy Ho Optique, on her way to her appointment with the doctor.
“He has just given testimony, relaying the injuries, his recovery… he says the cross-examination is exaggerated,” Justice Hudson said.
Around 1:23 p.m., he enters the optometrist’s office. It has a motorized sliding glass door. She pushed it aggressively against the frame, and it came off and was ajar.
‘He has approached her at the service counter, she has raised her arms in fear to see with his action.
Hachi was euthanized after the attack. The dog is represented in the house of Mr. Alexander.
You said something in an aggressive tone, but she can’t remember what you said. He says it was an attempt to say hello. She has called security and he has left.
Justice Hudson noted that the ordeal began when Mr Alexander did a favor for a friend and, coupled with covid and financial problems, resulted in his deteriorating mental health.
Considering that the incident was at the ‘lower end’ of the offence, Hudson Justice said he believed a long-term treatment plan would be the most appropriate solution and dismissed the charges.
Under the conditions, Mr. Alexander must not consume alcohol for three months and must continue to access his health care providers for psychological and medical treatment.
Justice Hudson praised Alexander for realizing that the 2022 court hearing would be stressful and for seeking help, but urged him to exercise more control going forward.
“You have a journey to get over what happened to you that day and continue your treatment,” he said.
‘Unusually, what you did this morning was the right thing to do. He contacted his trafficker, but unfortunately she was not available until 2 pm.
“But in the future, you can control what you do and say.”