Phoebe Hettinger loves animals, particularly snakes, unicorns and dogs. But her passion for the latter was tested when she was bitten on the face by an American Staffordshire-Border Collie cross at the O'Connor shops when she was three.
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Phoebe and her parents had approached the dog's owner to ask permission to pat the animal. It was granted - but the dog attacked Phoebe, tearing open an area above and on her mouth and cheek. She was hospitalised and treated by a plastic surgeon.
Now seven, Phoebe's scars are barely visible, save for a line like a puzzle piece that runs around her mouth. But the memories and anger continue to run deep.
"I am still so bitter and twisted," her mother, Donna, said.
"The attack itself I can safely say is the worst moment of my life, but what has made it worse is everything else that happened around it."
Ms Hettinger has spoken after the Sunday Canberra Times reported Domestic Animal Services had responded to 218 dog attacks between January and late May, including 94 on humans.
In Phoebe's case, the owner of the dog, a NSW resident, was fined $1000 in the ACT Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to a charge of being the carer of a dog which attacked a person.
Ms Hettinger said she remained disappointed the dog's owner - whose lawyer said he was genuinely remorseful for the incident and at a loss at to why the dog had attacked - was charged with a lesser offence. At the time, the prosecutor explained the man had been charged with a minor offence as a more serious charge could not be proven.
Ms Hettinger said paramedics called ACT Policing immediately following the attack but the job was initially cancelled. And the dog was not declared dangerous - only last week was Ms Hettinger told that Canberra's Domestic Animal Services had the power to declare interstate dogs such.
" ... where an attack occurs in the ACT, regardless of where the dog is registered (or not registered), or where its owner resides, Domestic Animal Services can respond and take action against both the dog and its owner," a Transport Canberra and City Services spokesman said.
"Even if the owner takes the dog back into NSW, depending on the severity of the attack, Domestic Animal Services can declare the dog as dangerous and under national mutual recognition arrangements, the dog will be recognised as a dangerous dog in its home state or territory."
Ms Hettinger said: "That makes me even angrier [to know it could've been declared dangerous].
"We were let down in so many ways."
This year's dog attacks have ranged from minor nips to serious bites with 80 dogs seized by May.
Sixty-six incidents involved an attack on a person, 124 were attacks on animals and 28 involved both a human and an animal.
"Dog attacks are the highest priorities for response by Domestic Animal Services rangers," a Transport Canberra and City Services spokeswoman said earlier this month.
"Domestic Animal Services has a 24 hour/seven day week operation for the community to report dog attacks via Access Canberra on 13 22 81."
The number of attack investigations held by Domestic Animal Services has skyrocketed in recent years, increasing from 85 in 2012-13 to 93 in 2013-14, 245 in 2014-15, 360 in 2015-16 and 389 in 2016-17.
The ACT government introduced new legislation in December 2017 aimed at protecting the community from dangerous dogs and holding irresponsible dog owners accountable.
Amendments introduced in March would mean anyone handling a dog was responsible for its behaviour, not just its registered owners.
