Dog bites beachgoer twice

By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE

Garth Cann was enjoying an afternoon with friends at Bethells Beach on the west coast when he was attacked by a dog - twice.

Mr Cann, 34, had been for a final swim and was preparing to go home about 4pm when a german shepherd on the O'Neills Bay beach rushed up and bit him in the stomach.

When Mr Cann discovered a deep puncture wound, he walked up to the dog's owners nearby and suggested they put the animal on a leash.

He said the middle-aged man and two women were standing watching three dogs - the shepherd and two others - playing in the water.

Suddenly the german shepherd came from about 6m away and bit Mr Cann again, this time more severely, on the buttocks.

"It got a bit excited. I saw it coming and tried to fend it off," he said.

"I'm over six feet [1.83m] tall and able to look after myself. Imagine if it had been an elderly person or a child."

After pulling the dog off, putting a lead on it and saying "sorry", the trio slunk off over the sand dunes with their animals. "That's when I lost them."

Surf lifesavers took Mr Cann by quad bike to the surf club and treated his injuries while waiting for an ambulance. He was due to see a doctor last evening.

Mr Cann, a dog lover, was upset and puzzled by the attack.

He urged anyone bringing pets to the beach to keep them under control.