Man mauled to death by 12 dogs

Detectives called in after 12 dogs maul man

A 22-year-old Northern Territory man has died after being mauled by a pack of dogs in Arnhem Land, police say.

Superintendent Rob Farmer says police had to use capsicum spray to drag the dogs away from the man, who later died at a health clinic in Maningrida, 350 kilometres east of Darwin.

He says police were called to a disturbance about 1.30am on Sunday when they came across the gruesome incident.

"While travelling to the disturbance they found a man lying face down on the side of the road being mauled by a pack of about 12 dogs," he said.

"Police went to the man's aid and using capsicum spray and other force they've managed to disperse the dogs.

"But the man sustained a large number of bites from the dogs.

Police commenced CPR a short time later, but he could not be saved.

Because of the earlier disturbance involving the deceased man, detectives were investigating the matter.

"Major crime flew out there yesterday and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death and autopsy is going to be conducted and a report prepared for the coroner," he said.

The chief executive of the Shire of West Arnhem, Mark Griffin, is calling for hundreds of thousands of dollars in new funding to control vicious camp dogs.

Mr Griffin says the West Arnhem Shire's strategic plan calls for $450,000 annually to control aggressive roaming dogs.

"Maningrida has dog dreaming so there is cultural significance to the dog population with Maningrida and we have been talking to the community to try and work out the best way to actually control some of these vicious animals," he said.

"However, whenever you do go up to the families who own these animals and ask for them to be voluntarily destroyed, they do decline that option."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/6476285/detectives-called-in-after-12-dogs-maul-man/

An inquest has resumed into the deaths of two men whose bodies were mauled by dogs in separate incidents at an Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs.

Michael Anthony Hardy died after being attacked by a pack of dogs at the Hidden Valley camp in July last year.

Three weeks later, Robert Roman had a heart attack in the same camp and was then mauled by dogs.

The town's former mayor Fran Kilgariff has told the inquest dog control was difficult in the town camps prior to Mr Hardy's death.

She said council rangers were not allowed access to the camps.

She said the town council's memorandum of understanding with the organisation managing the camps, Tangentyere Council, was sitting on the table, not being activated and the councils were not talking.

Tangentyere Council granted access to rangers in August, 2008, and 1200 dogs were removed from the camps in the past year.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was attacked by a pack of dogs at Maningrida yesterday.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/odd/6479623/deadly-camp-dogs-inquest-resumes-in-alice/

Another vicious dog attack in an Aboriginal community has highlighted what is a serious problem in the Northern Territory.

Police in the remote community of Maningrida are investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was found being mauled by a pack of 12 dogs before he died.

Meanwhile the Northern Territory Coroner has resumed an inquest on two men attacked by dogs in a town camp in Alice Springs.

Deadly dogs

Early on Sunday morning, police in Maningrida were on their way to one of the surrounding camps when they made a grisly find - a man lying face-down and being mauled by a pack of 12 dogs.

"Police went to the man's aid and using capsicum spray and other force they've managed to disperse the dogs," Duty Superintendent Rob Farmer told ABC Local Radio.

"But the man sustained a large number of bites from the dogs and a short time later he stopped breathing. Police commenced CPR, however he man died later at the health clinic."

Superintendent Farmer says at the time, police were responding to a separate disturbance involving the 22-year-old man.

An autopsy has been done, but police will not comment any further.

In Alice Springs, 1,200 dogs were removed from Indigenous town camps in the wake of a dog attack last year.

Michael Anthony Hardy died after being attacked by a pack of dogs at the Hidden Valley town camp in July.

Three weeks later, another man had a heart attack in the same camp and was then eaten by dogs.

Today the Northern Territory Coroner resumed an inquest into those deaths.

So far the inquest has heard evidence of several other horrific attacks in the town camps and the dog problem in Maningrida has been described as desperate.

Dog control

Local authorities say they have been lobbying the Federal Government for more money for dog control but so far they have been unsuccessful.

The chief executive of the West Arnhem Shire, Mark Griffieon, says the cash-strapped shire does not have the resources to do the necessary dog control.

"At our last count there were about 720 dogs in that community for about 2,500 people, so that's a very high dog to people population ratio," he said.

"Part of our strategic plan on animal management was that a $400,000 program per annum needs to be instigated to try to get on top of these issues.

"Now that's just not for Maningrida; that's for the whole community of the West Arnhem Shire.

"As a council that's very limited rate case and revenue base, it's very hard for us to try and find $400,000 to fund such a program."

Mr Griffieon says he has had a number of meetings with the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to seek additional funding.

'We need to do something'

Mr Griffieon says even with enough money, dog control in Maningrida is unlikely to be straightforward.

"I'm not Indigenous person so I don't claim to understand the traditions in relation to the dogs, but I understand there's dog dreaming in that community and that is an area of concern in relation to if you want to destroy dogs or maintaining of the dog population," he said.

But he says after the weekend attack it could be time for more decisive action.

"We're in discussions with the community to say 'well look, we need to do something about it; we need to do something about it now'," he said.

Mr Griffieon says there will also be talks with the community about what to do with the dogs involved in the weekend attack once it is known which animals were responsible.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/odd/6480019/horrific-dog-attacks-highlight-desperate-situation/

Werewolves of London Alice Springs ...

Of course Oz has denied its citizens the right to carry an effective defence against dangerous animals, four legged or two.
Just like the UK, where the level of violent crime is almost three times that of the US.....

ain't nothing like a stout piece of hickory with lead in the end.

bash the brains out of anything on two legs or four short of Griz

Motor City tire thumper ;)