The 32-year-old was facing deportation.

A woman who was mauled by two dogs along a popular walking track in Sydney's south has undergone surgery, as her pet dog fights for life.

Eleanor Booth was walking her Jack Russell named Indy by the Georges River when she had to run into neck-deep mud to escape to dogs in Lugarno yesterday.

She was rescued by police officers, who had to use pepper spray to scare off the Irish wolfhounds before pulling her to safety.

READ MORE: Aussie man's shock as private investigator knocks on door

Booth told her friends she thought she was going to die alone with her dead dog in her arms.

The 34-year-old claimed she saw a man with two dogs who called on them to stop attacking but she claims when they didn't, he left.

She underwent surgery today on both her hands.

Physically, she will recover.

She was bitten by the dogs on her mouth, throat and cheek. 

READ MORE: Two charged after teen rode baggage carousel into restricted area

Indy is sedated at the Sydney Animal Hospital, with vets hoping she will be well enough to undergo life-saving surgery tomorrow.

Police are still searching for the owner of the dogs.

"There is liability for the owner of dogs, certainly dogs that go out and attack each other, and that will form part of the investigation," Paul Callaghan from NSW Police said yesterday.

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More than 300 full-time jobs will be cut from Victoria's Department of Health.

Department secretary, Professor Euan Wallace, said 305 "full-time-equivalent" workers would be losing their jobs to save the state $50 million a year in a leaked video of a presentation he made last week.

"None of this is easy – I know that," Wallace said, while encouraging staff to look after "ourselves and each other".

READ MORE: Small businesses suffer as price of chocolate soars

It costs taxpayers $800 million every year to run the Health Department as part of Victoria's $27 billion health sector which, going forward, could also be streamlined.

"Given that ratio, the bulk of our efficiencies and savings have to come from the sector," Wallace said.

"Essentially, we are going to explore and ask questions about everything we fund."

The Community and Public Sector Union's Victorian secretary Karen Batt said it wasn't good enough.

"When I heard of the video I didn't believe what was in it," she said.

"We have had a discussion with the government about the need to look after staff.

"I then got a copy of the video.

"To say that I am horrified about being lied to is an understatement.

"There seems to be plenty of money for MP pay rises.

"There's plenty of money for executive pay rises … but there doesn't seem to be enough money to keep people in the dignity of work."

READ MORE: Alleged burglars arrested after police chase in Melbourne

MP Melissa Horne told media today frontline services wouldn't be cut.

"We are rebalancing the public sector, back to pre-pandemic levels," she said.

"We are making sure we have those important frontline services delivering better healthcare for all Victorians."

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The driver found a dismissal letter in her mailbox on Christmas Eve.

A new service that will allow Australians to have themselves barred from betting will launch in August.

The federal government will make BetStop, a "national self-exclusion register for online wagering", available from August 21, 2023.

Australians will be able to register with BetStop to voluntarily self-exclude from all 150 Australian licensed interactive wagering service providers from a minimum of three months, to a lifetime.

READ MORE: Australian dad dies after suffering brain haemorrhage in Bali

Wagering service providers (both online and phone-based) will not be allowed to open an account or accept a bet from self-excluded individuals, or send them marketing material.

People will be able to register with BetStop for free and in one go.

The government will also introduce mandatory verification, meaning gambling providers will have to confirm a customer's identity when they register for a new account and before they can place a bet.

READ MORE: Search underway after shocking Sydney dog attack

Currently the requirement for ID verification gives providers 72 hours to confirm.

Gambling providers will also have to promote BetStop, including on their websites and apps, and through marketing material to customers.

Find out more about the exclusion service online.

There are many different ways to get help and information about gambling. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858; use online counselling; find information about help services in your state or territory; get information and support for family and friends; get information about how to talk with someone about their gambling; or contact Gamblers Anonymous. All services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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It was meant to be a trip to watch her cousin getting a tattoo – then she pulled out.

A family-owned business has been forced to cut its workforce in half as the price of chocolate continues to soar.

The price of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, is trading at its highest level due to high demand, a shortfall in production and bad weather forecast in the cocoa-rich region of West Africa.

Melbourne's Ministry of Chocolate have had to lift prices by more than 15 per cent.

READ MORE: Alleged burglars arrested after police chase in Melbourne

Founder Drew Maddison said his workforce have gone from 33 people to 12 in just four months.

With prices increasing, he said it's been difficult to retain a strong sales.

"That's purely because we have seen a decline in the purchase of confectionery items," Maddison said.

"There's only so much we can absorb before we pass it on to the consumer. It's very daunting when everything goes up at once.

"You can't just softly increase your pricing, you've got to have a massive increase."

So far this year, cocoa futures have risen about 21 per cent. This season, cocoa yields are underwhelming, likely due to crop disease and heavy rains.

And next season, forecasters are expecting another deficit because of El Niño, a naturally occurring phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which usually brings warmer global temperatures — poor conditions for growing cocoa.

Michael Harvey, a senior analyst for Rabobank, said cocoa and sugar prices will continue to cause pain for chocolate manufactures.

"Ultimately it's just underlying supply and demand fundamentals," he said.

"So there's weather risks in key production regions and there's also a bit of disease risk in some of those producing regions as well."

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Police found $31,000 in cash, drugs and a firearm, but they had no search warrant.

The man stole $15,000 worth of clothing and attacked a man about the head with pruners.

A new report has identified the toughest rental pressure points across Australia.