Latest news with #MargotMcNicol
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Top vet reveals why a 'dangerous' dog ban would be a huge mistake after a six-year-old girl was mauled at a park
An animal behaviour expert has claimed banning certain dog breeds wouldn't prevent attacks from the animals, following a series of shocking incidents across the country. In the latest dog mauling, a six-year-old girl underwent emergency surgery after she suffered horrific injuries during a frightening and unprovoked Staffy attack on Sunday. The harrowing ordeal unfolded while Margot McNicol and her family were at Nairne's newest off-leash facility, Woofside Road Dog Park, in the Adelaide Hills. Margot was playing with her puppy when an American Staffy leapt up and latched onto her head, sparking widespread calls for the government to ban the canines. 'Breed speaks for itself. Poor girl,' one Aussie wrote online, prompting another to agree that 'there are far too many ferocious dogs around' and Australia should 'just ban them'. One person took aim at the 'not the dog's fault nutters' who 'put a human life second'. And someone else had an issue with another breed, saying that 'it's always Pitbulls, always'. However, President of the Australian Veterinarian Behaviour Group, Dr Isabelle Resch, told Daily Mail Australia that 'there's been plenty of different studies that show banning breeds does not work' and that dogs like Staffys can be great pets. Dr Isabelle Resch (right) wants dog owners to be better educated on how to care for their pet after a six-year-old girl was mauled in Adelaide (left) Dogs that are currently banned in Australia are the American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. American Staffordshire Terriers are not banned in Australia. It was the same dog breed that mauled a five-week old baby boy to death as his parents slept at a NSW Central Coast home in 2021. Dr Resch has been a vet for more than 30 years but now works in the field of veterinarian psychiatry. 'There's been quite a few countries that have banned breeds like the American Pitbull and Japanese Tosa and it's failed to reduce the bite risk,' Ms Resch said. 'We need to look at community education and how we interact with dogs.' 'I look after the mental health of dogs and I guess I'm an activist in educating people in the community about how we can help the emotional welfare of dogs,' Dr Resch said. She said breed was 'not an indicator of behaviour' and that it was human actions that had a big impact on how dogs acted. 'There might be some genetic lines that are more prone to some behaviours but just the fact that you're a Rottweiler does not mean you're more likely to be aggressive,' she said. 'Aggression is saying 'bugger off and move away, I'm scared you're going to hurt me', so aggression is a normal response. 'People don't understand how we behaviour around dogs. Our body language often puts dogs in a position where they feel really threatened.' Dr Resch said data showed dogs that bite the most around the world are often smaller breeds like terriers. 'Chihuahua's don't make it to the media because they don't put people in hospital,' she said. 'I've seen more Labradors bite. In my career I have not seen any aggressive Pitbulls.' A report by the Sydney Children's Hospital in 2022 revealed a child was being admitted to a NSW hospital every week with a dog bite. The data took into account of 628 patients who presented with dog-related injuries from 2010 to 2020 and found their average age was just five-years-old. The breeds involved in the most reported attacks were Pitbulls (10.3 per cent), followed by Labradors (8.5 per cent) and Rottweilers (6.8 per cent). The top three were followed by Bulldog (6%), Border Collie (6 per cent), Jack Russell (5.1 per cent), Terrier (other) (5.1 per cent), Kelpie (5.1 per cent), German Shepherd (4.3 per cent) and others (42.7 per cent). So nearly half of all recorded dog bites over a 10-year period were from dogs whose breed could not be identified. The results were likely skewed also because many dogs are misidentified as Pitbulls. A victim may claim that it was a Pitbull that bit them when it was in fact a different breed. And that didn't surprise Dr Resch who made the surprising claim about identification of dog breeds. 'We can't tell by looking at a dog what breed they are,' she said. 'We've got some very good DNA tests available right now and even those of us who have worked with dogs our whole lives often find we're way off the mark (in guessing a breed) after a DNA test is done.' Dr Resch also said it was a myth that cross breeds were more aggressive than pure-bred dogs, saying they didn't behave any different. She also took aim at social media and how it promoted a lot of misinformation that gave Aussies a distorted view about certain dog breeds. 'It's an absolute fallacy that Pitbulls lock their jaws. We are so biased by online content that feeds us,' she said. 'If someone tells you often enough that Pitbull's bite, you believe it, and I can tell you it's not true. 'There's just so many different variables as to what bites occur, what breed is the breed that actually caused the bite and does legislation stop the bites? No, it doesn't. 'I'm a scientist so I look at the science and I look at the research and the research has shown that banning breeds fails.' Dr Resch said dog owners were the ones who needed to behave better around their pets. 'We need to teach people how to responsibly look after their own dogs and the body language of dogs,' she said. 'They need to get permission before they approach a dog. Don't let your child just walk up to a dog. I would never recommend unsupervised contact between any dog and a child.' Dr Resch said the most common bites were in young male boys and it was generally associated with food and treats. 'That suggests to me that we're not setting these kids up or the dogs up for success. We need to put the onus back on people,' she said.
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Perth Now
Young girl hospitalised after brutal dog attack
Parents feared their young daughter was about to be scalped by an off-leash dog during a park visit with her puppy. Six-year-old Margot McNicol has undergone surgery after being mauled by an American Staffy at Nairne's newest off-leash dog park in the Adelaide Hills on Sunday afternoon. Margot was at the park with her family and her own puppy when the dog leapt up and grabbed her head. Hearing her screams, Margot's mother Christina ran to save her daughter from the jaws of the dog. 'She screamed, I ran over, and I saw the dog had her head in its mouth and was pulling her hair like a tug of war,' she told 7NEWS. WATCH ABOVE: 6-year-old girl requires surgery after being attacked by dog. Margot McNicol required surgery after being attacked by a dog in the Adelaide Hills. Credit: Supplied. McNicol said it took four adults to get the dog off her young daughter. 'I stabilised my daughter's head and her hair so it couldn't keep pulling because I was really worried it would scalp her,' she said. Little Margot was rushed to hospital with multiple puncture wounds to her head, along with scratches and bruising. Margot's father Braedan told 7NEWS his daughter's injuries could have been a lot worse. 'If she was bitten somewhere else on the head because she had multiple bites on her head, it could have been a completely different story,' he said. Witnesses at the park told 7NEWS that the owner of the dog left quickly and without even apologising. The Woodside Rd dog park at Nairne has only just opened. Credit: 7NEWS Mount Barker District Council told 7NEWS they are aware of the incident and are investigating. The owner could face a fine of over $300 and the dog may be put down. Margot's mother said it should be a lesson to the owner. 'If that is what is the safest (euthanasia) I think that is what should happen,' she said. 'The owner should know better, and I hope this is a lesson to them.'
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- News.com.au
Six-year-old girl forced to undergo surgery after being mauled by off-leash dog
Parents feared the worst when an off-leash dog lunged at their six-year-old daughter during a Sunday outing in the Adelaide Hills. Margot McNicol was at Nairne's newly opened off-leash dog park with her family and their puppy when an American Staffy attacked, grabbing her by the head. The little girl was rushed to hospital and has since undergone surgery for her injuries. Margot's mother Christina heard her screaming and ran over. 'I saw the dog had her head in its mouth and was pulling her hair like a tug of war,' she told 7News. She said it took four adults to get the dog off her daughter. Margot was taken to hospital with multiple puncture wounds, scratches and bruises, but her parents are grateful it wasn't worse. Her father Braedan said that if the dog had taken her neck or face instead of the top of her head. 'It would have been a completely different story,' he said. The council is now investigating the incident. The owner will be fined $300 and a decision is expected to be made about whether the dog is euthanised.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Parents' horror as their six-year-old girl is mauled by an American staffy in a public park and almost SCALPED
A six-year-old girl has undergone emergency surgery after she suffered horrific injuries during a frightening and unprovoked dog attack. The harrowing ordeal unfolded while Margot McNicol and her family were at Nairne's newest off-leash dog park Woofside Road Dog Park, in the Adelaide Hills on Sunday. Margot was playing with her puppy when an American Staffy leapt up and latched onto her head. It took four adults to free the dog from the little girl. 'She screamed, I ran over, and I saw the dog had her head in its mouth and was pulling her hair like a tug of war,' her mum Christina told Seven News. 'I stabilised my daughter's head and her hair so it couldn't keep pulling because I was really worried it would scalp her.' Margot was rushed to hospital with several puncture wounds to her head, along with scratches and bruising. She remains in hospital. Her injuries could have been a lot worse had another part of her head been attacked, according to her dad Braeden. 'It could have been a completely different story,' Mr McNichol said. Adding insult to injury, the McNicols claim the dog owner fled the park afterwards without apologising to Margot or the family. Mount Barker District Council is investigating the attack. The owner could face a fine of more than $300 and the Staffy could be euthanised. The extent of the punishment will depend on the severity of the attack and if the dog was already deemed a dangerous animal. 'If that is what is the safest (euthanasia), I think that is what should happen,' Ms McNicol said. 'The owner should know better, and I hope this is a lesson to them.' It's the same dog breed that mauled a five-week old baby boy to death as his parents slept at a NSW Central Coast home in 2021. A recent inquest into the baby's death heard that the breed had the highest incidence of attacks in local government data from 2018-2021. American Staffordshire Terriers are 'muscular, energetic medium-size dogs', according to Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance. While most of the breed's aggression has been 'bred out', they should always be supervised during play time. 'Being a strong, powerful breed, firm and consistent training is essential to ensure your American Staffy will obey your commands and behave respectably,' the company states. 'Intense socialisation from an early age is also very important in order to curb potential aggression towards both humans and other dogs. 'If not well trained, behavioural problems can develop and the Amstaff can become difficult to handle.' Woofside Road Dog Park opened in February. The area is a fully fenced, unleashed dog park with activity zones, shelter, seating, a footpath loop, water bubbler and dog water bowl.
7NEWS
26-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Parents feared off-leash staffy would ‘scalp' six-year-old daughter in unprovoked attack
Parents feared their young daughter was about to be scalped by an off-leash dog during a park visit with her puppy. Six-year-old Margot McNicol has undergone surgery after being mauled by an American Staffy at Nairne's newest off-leash dog park in the Adelaide Hills on Sunday afternoon. Margot was at the park with her family and her own puppy when the dog leapt up and grabbed her head. Hearing her screams, Margot's mother Christina ran to save her daughter from the jaws of the dog. 'She screamed, I ran over, and I saw the dog had her head in its mouth and was pulling her hair like a tug of war,' she told 7NEWS. WATCH ABOVE: 6-year-old girl requires surgery after being attacked by dog. McNicol said it took four adults to get the dog off her young daughter. 'I stabilised my daughter's head and her hair so it couldn't keep pulling because I was really worried it would scalp her,' she said. Little Margot was rushed to hospital with multiple puncture wounds to her head, along with scratches and bruising. Margot's father Braedan told 7NEWS his daughter's injuries could have been a lot worse. 'If she was bitten somewhere else on the head because she had multiple bites on her head, it could have been a completely different story,' he said. Witnesses at the park told 7NEWS that the owner of the dog left quickly and without even apologising. Mount Barker District Council told 7NEWS they are aware of the incident and are investigating. The owner could face a fine of over $300 and the dog may be put down. Margot's mother said it should be a lesson to the owner. 'If that is what is the safest (euthanasia) I think that is what should happen,' she said. 'The owner should know better, and I hope this is a lesson to them.'
