Lawyers in Sydney for Dangerous Dog Cases

The law says that a dog may be declared ‘dangerous’ when:

• It has, without provocation, attacked or killed a person or animal (other than vermin)
• It has, without provocation, repeatedly tried to attack or chase a person or animal
• It has displayed unreasonable aggression towards another person or animal

If your dog is declared to be dangerous, it will be subject to many restrictions – for example, it may need to wear a special collar to identify it as a dangerous dog.

Perhaps the most concerning and onerous condition is that your dog will be forced to live in an approved dog enclosure in your backyard, and it will only be able to leave that enclosure if it is muzzled. This is obviously very restrictive and can impact your dog’s quality of life.

Often, the process for defending a dangerous dog case is complex and confusing. It may also be highly emotional for yourself and your family.

To help you better understand the process and how you can defend the charges, we have included some information below.

1. Receiving the letter from council

The first thing that generally happens in a dangerous dog case is that council will send you a letter informing you about an ‘alleged incident’ – for example, that your dog has bitten someone.

The council will usually invite you to participate in an interview to discuss the incident, however it may not be in your best interests to participate in the interview. This is because it can be a highly emotional situation, and the council may attempt to make you admit to certain things which may result in an unfavourable outcome.

If you are worried about an interview with the council, speak to an experienced lawyer who will be able to advise you of your options.

2. Receiving a notice of intention from council

Council will then issue you with a ‘notice of intention to declare your dog dangerous.’ This notice will generally say that the council will issue a dangerous dog declaration after a certain period of time; usually seven days.

You will then have seven days to lodge an objection with the council. The council must consider your objection before they choose to issue a dangerous dog declaration.

3. Writing an objection

If you do not agree with the council’s decision to declare your dog dangerous, you may lodge an objection with the council within 7 days of receiving the notice.

You may choose to get a lawyer to draft the objection for you, or alternatively, you may wish to do it yourself.

The objection should take the form of a letter in which you highlight any positive traits which show that your dog is not aggressive – for example, you may say that your dog has never been involved in another incident, that it gets along well with children and other animals, that it has been trained, and anything else that may get you a more favourable outcome.

You may also want to include ‘undertakings,’ which are agreements between yourself and the council to do certain things – for example:

• You may undertake to not allow your dog out in public without a leash or a responsible adult
• You may undertake to secure your property or backyard and allow a council officer to inspect it
• You may undertake to take your dog to a dog training school, or a dog behaviourist

Undertakings are not legally binding; however they will demonstrate that you are willing to take responsibility for your pet.

There are several other things which you may wish to include in your objection to make it stronger:

• Character references: You may also wish to include character references from neighbours, your vet, an animal behaviouralist or anyone else who has had dealings with your dog. Character references should highlight the fact that your dog is not aggressive, and may draw attention to the fact that your dog interacts well with children and other animals.
• Temperament assessment: You may also include a ‘temperament assessment,’ which is where an animal behaviouralist or specialist assesses your dog for any behavioural issues and aggression. If the assessment is positive and shows that your dog is not aggressive, this can be a valuable addition to your objection.
• Photos: You may also include photos of your backyard or property to show that your yard is appropriately secured so that your dog cannot get out.

4. Appealing the council’s decision to the court

If the council rejects your objection and issues you with a dangerous dog declaration, you have several options.

Firstly, you may choose to take no action and accept the dangerous dog declaration. However, this generally means that you will have to abide by onerous restrictions, such as keeping your dog in an approved enclosure – which can have a negative impact on your pet’s quality of life.

Alternatively, you may wish to appeal the council’s decision. You can lodge an appeal by completing an application within 28 days of your dog being declared dangerous – these applications are generally available at your Local Court registry. You may choose to complete the application yourself, or ask a lawyer to do it.

You will then have to file the application at the Local Court registry and pay a small filing fee (usually under $100). You will then be given a court date at sometime in the near future, generally within 3-4 weeks.

5. Negotiating with council using control orders

While you await your court date, you may want to try and negotiate with council to revoke the dangerous dog declaration.

This may be achieved by offering to comply with ‘control orders,’ which are promises to control your dog in a certain way – for example, a promise to keep your dog muzzled and on a leash when in public. These are very similar to undertakings, however they are more likely to be accepted by the court as they are legally binding.

Control orders are also appealing as they are much less onerous than a dangerous dog declaration, and will generally not require your dog to be held in an enclosure – which means that your pet will be able to live its life freely.

They are also beneficial as they usually only last between 12 months and two years, while a dangerous dog declaration lasts indefinitely.

To negotiate a control order, you can call or email your local council.

If you are successful in obtaining a control order, you can hand up the control orders when you go to court. The magistrate will then dismiss the dangerous dog declaration and replace it with the control order.

6. Local Court Hearing

If you are not successful in negotiating control orders with council, you may choose to accept the dangerous dog declaration.

Alternatively, if you want to fight the dangerous dog declaration, you may wish to proceed to a Local Court hearing.

Prior to a Local Court hearing, both parties (i.e. the council and yourself) will be given an opportunity to serve any relevant documents to each other by a certain date. This means that you will have a chance to consider any evidence that the council has to support their dangerous dog claim.

You will then come back before the court for the hearing to determine whether the dangerous dog application is valid.

At a hearing, both parties will be able to give their side of the story and call witnesses – the council will usually call the person who was bitten or attacked to give evidence in the witness box, and you will also be able to do the same. You may also call any other witnesses who can support your case – such as a vet or an animal behaviourist who has worked with your dog. You or your lawyer will be given the chance to cross-examine the other party’s witnesses, and they will be able to do the same to your witnesses.

At the end of the hearing, the magistrate will make an order either allowing the dangerous dog declaration to continue, or dismissing it.

Generally, hearings should be avoided as they can be very costly and stressful – hence you should make every effort to have the dangerous dog declaration dropped at an earlier stage by lodging an objection or negotiating undertakings or control orders.

If your hearing is unsuccessful, you may apply to the council to have the dangerous dog declaration lifted 12 months after it has been made.

For more than a decade, Sydney Criminal Lawyers® has developed techniques to deal with ‘dangerous dog’ and ‘dog attack/bite’ cases.

We deal with All NSW Councils & represent clients in All NSW Courts, providing outstanding representation in these types of cases for ‘fixed fees’ (see our ‘fixed fees’ page).

We consistently influence NSW Councils not to issue ‘dangerous dog declarations’ to owners upon whom a ‘Notice of Intention to Declare Dog Dangerous’ has been served.

This is done by sending a ‘letter of objection’ to Council within 7 days of receiving the ‘Notice of Intention to Declare Dog Dangerous’.

It often helps if the letter includes a ‘temperament assessment’ and/or ‘undertakings to Council’; which are promises that you will take certain actions to ensure there is no future incident.

We can refer you to the most respected ‘temperamant assessors’ in NSW; including assessors who train Council Rangers.

We can draft the ‘letter of objection’ and ‘undertakings’ on your behalf; which can include a promise to always keep your dog on a leash when in public, to ensure your backyard is secure and to only allow adults to walk your dog.

We can also persuade Councils to issue ‘nuisance dog orders’ rather than more serious ‘dangerous dog declarations’.

We regularly have ‘dangerous dog declarations’ revoked (cancelled); which is done by applying to the Local Court within 28 days or to the ‘Council in which the dog is ordinarily kept’ more than 12 months after the delaration is made.

Councils will often agree to revoke dangerous dog declarations if ‘Control Orders’ are made instead; which are similar to ‘undertakings’ but are made by a Court.

In ‘dog attack’ cases, we often have alleged ‘dangerous dogs’ quickly returned to their owners and prosecutions dismissed in Court.

We regularly persuade Councils to withdraw prosecutions on various grounds, or to replace very serious criminal charges (eg ‘dog attack’ under section 16 or ‘encourage to attack’ under s17) with far less serious ‘Penalty Notices’ carrying fines.

We frequently advise verious organisations of the rights and responsibilities of pet owners under the Companion Animals Act and its regulations.

In fact, Sydney Criminal Lawyers® is recognised by Councils and other criminal lawyers as experts in the field and formidable advocates in court.

Going to court can be nerve-racking, but having a strong and compassionate legal team behind you can make the experience significantly easier to deal with.

Here are 12 reasons to choose our multi-award winning legal team:

1. Proven Track Record of Exceptional Results

   Sydney Criminal Lawyers® consistently achieves outcomes which are in the highest percentile of the Judicial Commission’s sentencing statistics for criminal cases.

   Our legal team devises effective case-strategies and fights hard to have cases dropped entirely or charges downgraded – saving clients the time, expense and stress of a defended hearing or jury trial.

   Where cases nevertheless proceed, our lawyers have an outstanding track record of winning defended Local Court hearings, and complex jury trials in the District and Supreme Courts.

   We also consistently win appeals in the District and Supreme Courts (including the NSWCCA) after clients have received unsatisfactory results with other law firms in the lower courts.We are one of the few firms to achieve successful criminal law appeals in the High Court of Australia.

   Where our clients wish to plead guilty, we frequently achieve ‘dismissals’ and ‘non convictions’ in cases where other lawyers have advised there is no chance of doing so.

2. Highest Level of Client Satisfaction

   We have the best and most comprehensive client review record of any law firm in Australia.

   Regular communication, accessibility and quality service are our team’s highest priorities.

   We are committed to thoroughly explaining all steps involved in the criminal law process, providing regular updates throughout the proceedings, and making ourselves accessible and responsive.

   We are passionate about providing an exceptional level of service to our clients, and we fight hard to achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time.

3. Australia’s Most Awarded Criminal Law Firm
   

   We have received more awards and accolades than any other criminal law firm in Australia. Our team has been awarded “Criminal Defence Firm of the Year in Australia” in a number of prestigious and competitive awards programs for several years running.

   The awards recognise our exceptional track record of results, our outstanding client service, the high level of satisfaction we achieve, the affordability of our services and our overall excellence.

4. Fixed Fees
   

   We want our clients to know exactly how much their cases will cost from the very start. That’s why we were the first criminal law firm in Australia to publish ‘fixed fees’, back in 2004.

   We offer fixed fees for most types of criminal cases and services.Our fixed fees apply to a range of Local Court cases such as drink driving, drug possession, fraud, common assault and AVOs, and also specific services such as prison visits, bail applications, appeals and defended hearings.

   Unlike many other law firms, our fixed fees are published on our website – which ensures transparency and certainty.

5. Free First Appointment
   

   For those who are going to court, we offer a free first conference of up to an hour with one of our Senior Criminal Defence Lawyers.

   We also offer a free first conference to those who have received an unsatisfactory result after being represented in court by another law firm, or after representing themselves, and wish to appeal.

6. Specialist Lawyer Guarantee
   

   We guarantee that only lawyers with substantial criminal defence experience will work on your case and appear for you in court.

   This ensures our clients receive the highest quality representation from an experienced, specialist criminal lawyer.

7. All NSW Courts
   

   From Bombala to Broken Hill, our lawyers appear in courts throughout New South Wales – and across Australia for Commonwealth cases.

   And we offer fixed fees for most criminal and traffic law cases throughout the state.

8. Accredited Specialists

   Our entire firm is exclusively dedicated to criminal law – which makes us true specialists.

   All of our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in criminal cases, and our principal has been certified by the Law Society of NSW as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 2005.

   An ‘Accredited Specialist’ is a lawyer who has practised for at least 5 years in a particular field of law (such as criminal law), has passed a rigorous assessment process conducted by the Law Society of NSW, and has been selected by the Specialist Accreditation Committee of the Law Society as an expert in the field.

   Accredited Specialists are required to undertake more training each year than other lawyers and must be successful in having their accreditation renewed every year. Specialist Accreditation is the mark of a true specialist.

   Our firm’s specialist experience ensures you receive the best possible result, whatever your criminal law case may be.

9. Results-Focused Law Firm
   

   Our team is passionate about achieving results, and unlike many other law firms, our lawyers do not have monthly financial ‘budgets’ to meet.

   The absence of budgets means our lawyers are entirely focused on achieving optimal results in the shortest space of time; whether by getting charges dropped or downgraded at an early stage or having cases ‘thrown out of court’.

   Not having budgets also means our lawyers are not under pressure to engage in unscrupulous practices such as unnecessarily adjourning cases or ‘overcharging’ clients – which, sadly, is a common complaint against many other lawyers and law firms.

   No budgets encourages regular consultation between lawyers within the firm – promoting an ‘open door’, team environment where lawyers bounce ideas off one another, formulate case strategy together and benefit from each other’s specialised experience, methods, techniques and insights.

   The result is a firm which delivers optimal outcomes in the shortest time periods, at the least expense and stress to our clients.

10. Team of Lawyers Behind You
    

    Our clients benefit from the pool of knowledge that only an extensive team of experienced criminal defence lawyers can provide.

    Our lawyers regularly consult one another to stay ‘ahead of the pack’ in the ever-changing field of criminal law – constantly devising, refining and implementing specialised techniques which ensure our clients achieve the best possible outcomes.

    A team approach is particularly important when it comes to serious criminal cases such as murder, commercial drug cases, serious and sexual assaults, large-scale fraud, robbery and other ‘indictable’ cases.

    In such matters, clients reap the benefits of several lawyers devising and executing case strategies which maximise the chances of having cases dropped or downgraded at an early stage, or ‘thrown out of court’ – often saving clients a great deal of cost, time and anxiety.

11. Familiar with Magistrates and Judges
    

    Each of our lawyers appears in court on a daily basis, and has done so for years. We have therefore been able to develop an understanding of, and rapport with, magistrates and judges in Sydney and indeed across the state.

    Our team’s extensive experience before the courts ensures your case is tailored to the specific nuances of individual judicial officers, maximising the likelihood of a favourable result.

12. Convenience
    

    We have offices in locations across the Sydney Metropolitan Area and beyond, including:

    • the Sydney CBD, on Castlereagh Street, directly opposite Downing Centre Court,
    • Parramatta, opposite the Justice Precinct carpark,
    • Liverpool, and
    • Sutherland.

    We offer free parking at our Sydney CBD offices, and all of our offices are close to train stations and bus terminals.

    For those who are unable to attend our offices, we offer conferences by telephone, Skye and FaceTime anywhere around the world.

    If you are going to court and wish to arrange a free first consultation, call our 24 hour hotline on (02) 9261 8881 or send us an email at info@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au.