Neighbours want police dog dead

ATTACKED: David Kay was bitten by a police dog during a raid on a house in Lang Court in Goodna yesterday.

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AN IPSWICH boy is in hospital with deep wounds to his leg after being attacked by a police dog.

Police were searching the Goodna house on Lang Court yesterday when the eight-year-old boy was bitten on the leg.

Initial investigations suggest the boy, David Kay, returned home and wandered into a room being searched by the police dog.

A police spokeswoman said David screamed and was bitten on the upper leg before the dog could be restrained.

Police began first aid and called paramedics to take David to Brisbane’s Mater Children’s Hospital where he remained yesterday in a stable condition.

An ambulance spokesman said the boy had a deep cut to his leg but no damage to veins.

Neighbours said five marked and two unmarked police cars descended on the street shortly after David was bitten.

Neighbour, Yvonne MacIntyre said she saw David limping in the yard before his brother Joel yelled out the police dog had taken “a chunk out of his leg”.

“I want to know where the hell the handler was,” Ms MacIntyre said. “They spend a lot of money training these dogs.”

Ms MacIntyre said David was a “cool kid” and hoped he was okay.

Neighbour Dennis Birt called for the police dog to be euthanased.

“If it was anyone else’s dog it would have to be put down,” Mr Birt said. “If the police can’t keep their dogs under control the children are going to think the police can’t be trusted.”

Mr Birt described David, who is in Year three at Goodna State School, as a “good kid” who often played with other children in the street.

“He's a wonderful kid,” he said.

“His parents have done a good job.

“He doesn’t deserve to be bitten.”

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said it was a difficult situation which needed to be investigated before deciding whether to put the dog down.

“I don’t think it would be a clear-cut case at all,” Mr Beatty said. “I hope that the police service looks at the situation very closely before destroying the dog.

“That would have to be put to the police service whether or not the dog needed more training or whether the dog was coming to the end of its career.”

Mr Beatty said dogs needed to be supervised around children.

QPS Ethical Standards Command is investigating the incident.

The police media spokeswoman would not comment on the dog’s fate while the incident was being investigated and would not confirm what police were searching for.

David’s parents could not be reached for comment.