The fate of two dogs responsible for killing another dog and seriously injuring its owner in Perth is still to be decided.
The woman and her smaller dog were attacked as they walked along Sycamore Rise in Dianella on Saturday, which was captured on CCTV.
The two loose animals are now in the care of the City of Stirling while the 49-year-old woman recovers in hospital.
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"This is definitely one of the worst instances of a dog attack that I have seen," RSPCA WA chief operating officer Hannah Dreaver said today.
Dog attacks are a concern for Perth councils, taking place across the city weekly and hospitalising hundreds of people every year.
"Dog attacks have been increasing in both the nature of the attacks as well as their frequency," Cornerstone Legal lawyer Tim Howeling said.
" … A person charged with a dog attack faces a maximum fine of $10,000."
The injured woman could even pursue her own legal action.
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"They [the owners] may be considered to be liable in criminal injuries compensation and they may also be the subject of civil action to recoup from them the losses from the person who is the victim of the attack may have suffered," Howeling said.
The City of Stirling is working to gather statements from those involved, including the dogs' owner, before a decision is made on what will happen to them.
They'll either be returned to the owner or kept by the council, facing the possibility of being put down.
"The question is whether or not that dog is able to be safely rehomed with the persons who were originally the owners of the dog," Howling said.
The RSPCA urged owners to socialise their dogs early.
"We really encourage owners to keep their dogs confined to their property and to also understand where their dogs are at all times," Dreaver said.
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