It happened out of nowhere. One moment, Phillip Chalker was walking down a street with his guide Sally. The next, the black Labrador was trapped as a rogue dog locked onto her neck, bit down and refused to let go.
As a self-described “totally blind” man, Chalker could do nothing but panic and listen to the onslaught.
Sally was eventually freed, and a stranger who rushed to help Chalker told him the other dog appeared to have escaped from under a nearby fence.
It was Sally’s second frightening incident in less than a year – the first involved an off-leash dog – and while the attack did not draw blood, it ended her career as a guide dog.
“I could not go out my door any more because my dog was traumatised,” Chalker said.
Sally had to be retired as a guide after the July 2025 attack and is now providing comfort to people with PTSD.
Following the second attack, Chalker, from Traralgon, was shocked to discover there were no specific penalties for assaults on service dogs, so he started a petition for stronger legal protections, which has gained more than 2100 supporters.
Vision Australia, Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs Australia broadly support efforts to treat attacks on assistance dogs differently to attacks on pets.
“It’s like taking a walker off an old man or an old lady and just letting them be un-mobilised,” Chalker said.
Vision Australia is aware of five attacks on seeing eye dogs since July 2025, and Sally was one of two of the organisation’s dogs retired in the past year because of an attack. Guide Dogs knows of six incidents in NSW and Victoria since July 2024.
Unreported incidents and negative experiences such as being “rushed” by off-leash dogs were also a major concern, said Guide Dogs chief executive Nicky Long.
She said the impact could extend far beyond physical injuries and affect a dog’s confidence or trigger anxiety.
“The consequences can be immediate and life-changing for the person who depends on them,” Long said.
“We need clearer and more consistent regulation, greater public awareness and stronger enforcement to keep guide dog handlers and their dogs safe in the community.”
Vision Australia chief mission officer Christopher Edwards called on authorities to consider a legal overhaul similar to that in Britain, where attacks on assistance dogs are an aggravated offence.
It costs $50,000 to train a guide dog, and Edwards is concerned that after the boom in dog ownership since the pandemic, too many owners are complacent about interrupting working assistance dogs.
His own previous seeing eye dog, Odie, was “never the same” after an incident on a trip to the shops.
“What we see a lot of at the moment is not only just the attack on the dogs, it is people with their dogs wanting to go, ‘Oh, can my dog talk to your dog or say hello to your dog?’” Edwards said.
“[They] let the dog come right into the dog’s face, which makes it impossible for them to do their role.”
Councils are responsible for investigating dog attacks and enforcing penalties, which starts at just over $800 if a dog rushes at another person or dog. Fatal or serious injury attacks, as well as those involving dangerous animals or restricted breeds, can also attract jail time.
Shine Lawyers public liability solicitor Gezime Vasic, who works on dog attack lawsuits, said dogs were usually euthanised only if they were involved in multiple incidents and deemed a risk to the public.
She backed greater public education on responsible dog ownership instead of harsher penalties, including an emphasis on making sure dogs are well trained, walked and kept within secure fencing.
“All dog owners – and this is where I pursue cases – have an obligation to ensure their dog is under control at all times, whether it’s out in public, in the backyard, in their front yard, fenced off, inside the house,” she said.
A Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action spokesperson said councils had what they needed under the Domestic Animals Act to investigate incidents and take appropriate compliance and enforcement action.
“Council powers include seizing dogs, issuing infringements, pursuing prosecutions and declaring dogs to be deemed dangerous or menacing,” the spokesperson said.
Chalker recently celebrated “graduating” training with his new seeing eye dog, Donna, but the attack on Sally is still painful to talk about and always at the back of his mind.
“I hope it doesn’t happen again, but I have to stay positive for my new dog because they feel what we feel,” he said.
“I should be able to walk around my own streets and have my own freedom without having to be nervous or scared.”
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Rachael Ward is a journalist in the City team at The Age. Contact her at [email protected]Connect via email.From our partners
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