Gold Coast dog owners face a massive increase in fines if they fail to control their pets under a new crackdown announced by Council.
It follows a spate of dog attacks across the city with Council receiving dozens of reports each month.
A Council Committee on Tuesday voted to dramatically increase some of the penalties.
Owners who fail to keep a dog under effective control will now face a fine of $619.
That’s four times as much as the previous penalty.
Owners whose dog attacks and injures a person or another animal could be slugged a $774 fine.
There’s been a strong push among Councillors for tougher penalties, especially in the wake of an attack on a three-year-old girl in Yatala who was seriously injured after being attacked by a number of dogs.
A recent survey found 56 per cent of residents backed tougher penalties.
