Charlie, Sharni (front) and a family friend (back)…
In early November last year, Shannon’s two family dogs Charlie and Sharni escaped their yard and despite frantic efforts to find them, got themselves into big trouble.
They killed a cat owned by someone in the neighbourhood. The dogs were impounded by Frankston Council and held at the Lost Dogs Home.
Knowing that her dogs weren’t mean – Charlie was adopted from Animal Aid, and both dogs lived with kids, cats and other pets – and that the family had lived at her property for more than four years without incident, Shannon believed that she and her dogs would be treated fairly and reasonably.
Shannon did not contest the charges brought against her in court. She was prepared to be fined, and realised her dogs may be declared ‘dangerous’, even though they weren’t aggressive and had never been in trouble before. Shannon thought that as a pet lover with a history of caring for her pets without issue, if she was willing to pay the fines and invest in the appropriate care and containment for her dogs, she would be allowed to take them home after the last court date.
In short, she was willing to accept a reasonable penalty for her family’s mistake.
Fast forward to today and the case is still not resolved. The dogs are still impounded at the Lost Dogs Home, and the care and upkeep charges are now in excess of $6,000. With two small children, Shannon has been forced to get a second job to try and begin to cover these expenses. In addition the family have had to pay for a laywer, barrister and had fines from the court.
For four months these dogs have been held with only one visit to from their family. In what seems like a deliberate effort to maximize their distress, the dogs are not being held side by side, but separately from each other.
The family has built an escape proof enclosure. They have had the dogs assessed by an extremely experienced veterinary behaviourist, who deemed them to be safe around humans and other dogs. They have hired a lawyer and barrister to try and fight the directive. All in an effort to save their dog’s lives.
Still, this week, the Council has declared it will be killing the dogs.
Rather than walk away from her pets, Shannon has made herself and her family broke trying to save them.
Rather than show Shannon and her family compassion, Frankston Council will kill Charlie and Sharni this Wednesday, after the long weekend.
Killing a dog for killing a cat, seems an extraordinarily harsh penalty when the owner is compliant and willing to ensure that the animal is not given the opportunity to make another mistake.
To kill two dogs for the death of a cat when both dogs have been assessed as not dangerous, seems like genuinely excessive action from council.
No one denies what these dogs did was incredibly shitty – but is kill-punishing them really the most appropriate way for us to react? I personally hope Council will review this decision and see that there is no benefit in causing further devastation by ending the lives of this family’s pets.
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If you want to register your protest of the treatment of Charlie and Sharni, please let Frankston council know how you feel on their Facebook page. Also email Frankston council ([email protected]) as well as the councilors addresses here: The CEO of Frankston Council is Dennis Hovenden. |
I’m glad I don’t live in frankston. You do nothing for your reputation committing this heinous act. Have a heart.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. I feel very sorry for the owner of the cat. It would be appropriate to make restitution to the owner, if such a thing is possible, but the penalty for this act far outweighs the situation.
Pathetic.
As a resident and ratepayer, I’m disgusted….. let the poor dogs go for God sake..The owners have paid enough as have the dogs being in prison…Ridiculous…s h a m e !! FCC
Sorry but is there any proof of them attacking the cat??? Or is it just he said she said????And arnt cats meant to be in doors and a certain time? So what time was this “cat” attacked?.. I’m sorry but what this council is doing an how they are acting in this situation is pathetic!!! The family is trying there hardest to and trying anything they can! For there animals to be returned!! DOESNT THAT SHOW YOU ENOUGH EVIDENCE that those dogs are LOVED and cared for! Yes they got out?
But can I just ask how are they being treated now? And how is being locked up in a cage here they sleep, shit, and eat!!! A responsible and appropriate way for these dogs the last couple of months???
DO THE RIGHT THING AND RETURN CHARLIE AND SHARNI TO THERE FAMILY !!!
They are living animals that have feelings and emotions too. Have a bloody heart!!!
Please let these dogs go home now they have done their time and the owner has done all they need to ascertain they are serious dog owners let them home now FCC and let us know you have a heart.
This is disgraceful!! The owners have done everything in their power to make sure there are enclosed areas and that the dogs have been deemed not aggressive. Let these dogs live. Frankston council you should be ashamed.
To FC, I’m not sure what you are trying to achieve by putting these dogs down, it looks like some one at FC has had thier nose put out on this case. If it has been proved that these dogs are not agressive, and the owner is still willing to have thier pets around thier children and family members, I think the best option is to release the pets back to the owner.FC need to put their efforts into other issues . Obviously this family are decent, good and law abiding citizens, that are willing to pay fines and proberly their rates on time.I hope this outcome is a positive for the family of the pet dogs.Why was the cat roaming streets and has that owner been fined. Please don’t let the family of the dog suffer.
I agree the owners have done everything in their power to show their dogs are safe & this has been backed up by assessments from professionals…. Why do they need euthanasian…they have done their time & can go home to a family that loves them and has built further security so they can’t escape in the future….. It’s also more than humans will do for DANGEROUS humans….Oh, there is so much more to say to this but then I would be on a rant…LET THEM LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frankston Council
Atrocious to blame the dogs when they are obviously not a threat to people or other dogs. Cats are meant to be kept indoors and/or confined to property. How can you blame the dogs when the cat owner is responsible for the situation as well. Compensation to the cat owner is okay and the owners of the dogs have taken all correct and positive steps so this cannot happen again. Frankston Council,as usual, Shame, Shame, Shame on you.
This is an absolute outrage. The penalty is unexplicably harsh, there is just no justification whatsoever. i am rapidly losing faith in the human race as a whole. time after time the animals are let down, and suffer unneccesarily as a result. Shame on you Frankston Council. let the dogs go home.
This is so ridiculous! The family have obviously done everything in their power to be responsible pet owners. They love their dogs and deserve to have them back. Full responsibility has been taken and I am sure with the moves that have been taken that these dogs won’t be able to do this again. Why punish the responsible and caring people when the are so many who are not that seem to get away with much more. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Shame on you Frankston Council. The dogs are extremely loved family pets who gave been proven to be no threat. You cannot condemn an animal for following their natural instincts when it comes to cats. These people have done everything in their power to make sure their dogs will not escape again, the penalty is far too harsh. Please do the right thing and let this family get on with their life with their precious digs by their side
That’s just plain cruel. How can you put these poor dogs down when clearly the owner is showing responsibility? I feel for the owner of that cat that was killed but to put a family through all that expense, giving them hope and then take it away? That’s just wrong!
This is disgraceful the cancel thinks I can get away with it just because Frankston cancel hates dogs what about the bloody cat it’s my understanding the cat should be contained to their property 24 hours a day why isn’t that dealt with, would the cancel have dealt with the dogs if I were too small little dogs instead of a large dog
This is disgusting treatment of residents who are responsible pet owners. Easy targets compared to law breaking locals who endanger our community. Nothing is done about those issues yet time and time again, the council act so harshly toward those that meet all demands, pay all fines, fees for the upkeep, fees for lawyers to fight the case. There is a pattern here Frankston council. The death of pets that have been held for months while you get everything you can out of their desprate, distraught owners. Then just before justice.. the animals are put down. Enough is enough. You have two choices. Do the right thing=good publicity. The other=bad publicity that will never go away! SAVE THE DOGS!!!
I agree
I have a multicat home…..and a large enclosure, cats need to be contained for their own safety.
I blame the cat owner here…..they failed to keep their cat safe.
Let them free. Dogs don’t always know right from wrong. But to kill them for one wrong is a pretty hash penalty. A second chance is something we all would like at some point in our life. FCC show some compassion for once the world just might benefit from it! Sometimes you just have to look at things from another person’s perspective for a second and you’ll see how insane this outcome is and how sane it could be! I feel for the owners.
Good luck and I hope the lawyers can do something to save these pets. It’s just not right. X
Give them back there dogs! They have suffered enough, they have done everything right. Your punishing the wrong people.
So sad. Let these dogs go.
Frankston council screwed me over when my staffy escaped our yard.. why was the cat wondering around outside anyway isnt there certain times a cat can be let outside.. if the dogs have been checked over amd have been cleared that they are not dangerous THEN GIVE THEM BACK to there owners…
I am shocked at the way this is being handled. The owners have done everything responsible and have complied with the courts rules. And she gets rewarded by those jerks putting her dogs down? Why don’t you tell her the God’s honest truth…..Are the courts afraid of the dogs, which clearly clearly shows that these dogs are NOT vicious? But then again when a Stafford mauls a cat and the owner hands the woman her cat over the fence with a cold blooded..”here’s your cat”, I don’t live in Australia but I have visited and know exactly how to train a dog, and if I was going to use them to “breed”? I would be totally registered. My dogs would be double chipped. And have papers. It seems to me that the more responsible the owner/breeder is, the more they suffer. And for what? Go after the “dog mills” where the mother(bitch) is used over and over again to breed. That to me is a problem and I smell a fish all the way over in America.
As a dedicated cat lover and owner this is one of the many reasons I keep my cats contained, it the responsibility of the owner to keep their cats safe.
I am very sorry for the cat concerned but the full blame lies with owners who were prepared to take the risk of letting their cat roam risking death from cars, dogs, humans, snakes and all those other dangers.
The councils actions are appalling and heartless….let these dogs go home to loving owners, maybe cat owners need to be as viligant as this family about properly caring for their cats then this would never happen.
I feel for the cat’s owner, but to put these dogs down when its part of their natural instinct (prey drive) to chase is extreme. The vet behaviourist has declared that these dogs are safe with people: and the owner has been compliant with fines and prepared to make changes to the dogs living arrangements, so the Council is doing the wrong thing. I ask a question: what would be the percentage of dogs who WOULDN’T chase cats: very low indeed. Yes, it was very unfortunate in this case that they caught the cat, but the dogs’ natural instinct is natural.
Does the government do the same to humans that make mistakes? I do not understand why this has to happen when the family are going to such effort to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Let these dogs go back to their family with regular visits to make sure they are properly enclosed.
Frankston Council, it would seem you have done and are doing what you intended to do in the first place, to cause grief and poverty to a family who have at all times striven to do the right thing by their dogs and the Council.
These dogs do not deserve to die for what they did, I have 2 cats as well as dogs but this cat should not have been outdoors, the owner of tyhe cat is also at fault. OK, these 2 dogs got out but they wouldn’t be the 1st ones to do so! Irrespective of that, humans (even mass killers) don’t get the death penalty, so why should any dog? That’s right, I forgot, humans are the master race and believe they have control over life and death of all other creatures!
Shame on you Frankston Council if you murder these dogs, as murder it would be. Let them go home, you have caused enough grief to both the family and their dogs!
I’m sorry but there is no justification for applying such an extreme rule in this case. If the dogs were truly dangerous, rather than having behaved badly in one isolated event you would have more support. If I were the owners I would fight you to the highest level possible. Have some compassion and apply some common sense for crying out loud.
It is now well known that the dog laws in Australia are out of control with Victoria the leaders in stupidity. The only option but they will need an experienced media person is to take their case to the court of public opinion. I have contacts in this area if they are interested but it is a two edged sword as the media can help you as well as use you.
I’m sure you had political aspirations that you promised your constituents to get elected to your appointed positions. I fail to see the great debate you have chosen to have because of what these canines have done. I’m pretty sure that they aren’t the first to kill a cat/dog in your paradise. For that fact, maybe you should put the people on trial for killing their pets? Are you going to euthanise them? Of course not, I can hear the chuckles that are in your heads. I would laugh along with you.
Let’s get back to your political agenda for a moment, shall we? I’m sure the promises you made to make you seem like the second coming of Christ in good vibe politics have fallen off just a smidge right? If you would like to think you haven’t fallen off and kept all your promises … then I would really like to try whatever it is that you are smoking?
I think you would like to be laundered, raised upon everybody’s shoulders for something reasonably more substantial, like a school or a park playground that is desperately needed and wanted by the Frankston community. So I strongly urge you to think about your personal political future … do you want this to be your legacy? If that includes putting dogs to sleep for a cat … which a family pet has been taken away, and I am not discounting that by any means, and am sorry to the family that suffered this loss … to be the one cause you championed … then I feel sorry for you, the Council, because you will certainly be committing political suicide. The press is having a field day with you. So, do something useful and more memorable so that maybe your political future can be a little more secure … or suffer the moronic decision that may sink you and prepare for your true destiny … “Do you want fries with that?”
So was the owner of the cat also fined for letting a native wildlife killing pest roam free?
Many councils, councillors & their employees will not stop until all dog ownership is banned. Once they have totally banned large dogs, medium sized dogs like blue heelers will be targeted, then the small yapping dogs but they don’t care that people let their cats roam the neighbourhood.
im astonished to find you are putting down dogs who might of killed a cat. most dogs who arent used to cats will do this its in their nature ! its like you tellling a dog to be a vegitarian its not its a carnivore ! dogs have their own natural responses ! if you are going to be so irrational to nit pick and kill a dog for killing a cat ? then you should kill yourself too you’re killing animals for no good reason what makes you different from the dogs killing the cat you are just a human now killing the dogs you are taking away two lives so why shouldnt you people be held accountable ? you should then kill any animal or human for killing a human or an animal or a insectmand we all know you dont do that! people who abuse animals kill them and torture get away with it but you spend your time on this ! what a waste you could actually be doing something of worth instead of running around killing peoples animals.
Disgust, Disgust, Disgust! How about getting out there and punishing the puppy farmers, animal abusers, etc etc etc, not responsible pet owners who are more than willing to abide by any conditions set, who have shown love for their pets, responsability for their pets actions and respect for the laws. Murderers, rapists & child molesters don’t even get punished this harshly! Let these dogs go home!!!
Disgraceful! Let the dogs live and leave this poor family alone.
Why when we don,t kill humans for killing, we kill dogs for it.. I don,t understand the logic…………
I think it’s terrible how these dogs have been treated while being in the pound. There owners have made sacrifices to get them back. Let the dogs live and send them home where they are loved. I think it’s disgusting that your council would vote to have these dogs killed!
This is terrible. What is this council trying to prove, if it’s that you are uncaring and unreasonable, point taken. Let these dogs go home to their family and wipe the slate clean of debts as well. Stop this abuse.
I have sent an email on my behalf to the frankston council. Hope you’re family Get these babies back. Feeling for this family- aggree with Tammy clarks comment-
DO NOT kill these beautiful animals..the council has no right!!.. they have been declared safe by an expert and should remain with their family…
So Wrong!
So Wrong!
Emails sent to all councillors.
obviously a person that has no heart and is not a dog person has made this decission to put down these dogs for an act of nature dogs chase cats I know it not right but these can’t help what happened. grow a heart Frankston council. this family is trying to do the right thing let them have their dogs back
Id love to see a photo. Or video of the dogs hurting the cat. To me if you don’t have proof then what they are doing is wrong on many more levels. I think the council should back down from this before shit get out of hand and someone goes out of there wag to hurt there animals. There are a lot of people getting upset and pissed off. The dogs were evaluated and deemed safe. Then let them go. If they are put down why should family pay the $6000 that’s bullshit.
As a cat and dog owner this is very sad.
It’s hard to keep cats inside at night time but at the same time
Does it mean these dogs have a taste for blood?
I DO NOT think the dogs should be put down if a professional
Has confirmed they are no threat but I can see where they are coming from
As you can’t allow an animal that has killed to be free
I think it’s a complicated situation unfortunately this happens and to be honest I feel
Sorry for the cat owner. He dogs should b let go but the council needs to know the
Dogs are safe around others including other pets.
As I said it’s a complicated one as on one hand the dogs should pay for the live they took
But the cat could of tormented them too.
It’s very hard to make a choice.
I do think though if professionals have said they are no danger
They should be let free under the strict rules that if it happens again the dogs would have pay
The dogs should be let go under these restrictions.
Wrong!!
what was the court ruling? and what was the result of any appeals that were undertaken? as much as i dont agree with the decision the council would have taken the legal options but that is not stated in this article. why not?
Frankston, I had once wanted to live there.
Now, I would rather nothing less.
Look at the effort that this family had gone to, to ensure their dogs are enclosed, but for what?
So a heartless council can kill them.
Imagine how this family is coping, and especially with such young kids. Imagine explaining what happened to them. HORRIBLE.HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE.
Frankston Council, I am absolutely appalled at how you are treating this situation.
NEVER WILL I GO NEAR FRANKSTON unless they treat these animals the way they deserve and give them back to the owner. Perhaps a good behaviour bond? If they do anything wrong again, then it’s time for the FAMILY to put them to sleep, but now now.
Absolutely disgusting!!! How can this be allowed?? These dogs are NOT dangerous! I lost my cat due to a dog attack and there was nothing right about killing the dog who did it! It just isn’t right! The dog wasn’t dangerous to society, he just needed to be restricted. This family has gone above and beyond to make sure that it won’t happen again. This is appalling. Frankston city council your decision is absolutely ridiculous! I’m so glad that I live on the other side of melbourne. Can’t believe this is happening!
A dog kills a cat we kill the dog. A human kills another human we do not kill that human. How about you let these loved dogs go home to there loving family, after all everything deserves a second chance.
Have a heart.