A Sunshine Coast dog owner is facing more than $3000 in penalties and court costs after choosing to dispute an $806 fine for not holding her dog’s leash by hand.
Robyn Watkins, who was the owner of Witt and What at Moffat Beach, was issued the fine last year for having her eight-year-old deaf cattle dog Violet’s leash secured under her foot when sitting outside her shop.
She decided to challenge the fine in Caloundra Magistrates Court on July 28 but due to a misreading of the hearing time she arrived late and was told the matter had already been heard.
“I had it in my calendar for 9.30am – I was absolutely certain,” she said. “A friend even came with me for support because I’ve been breaking down a lot lately from stress.
“I was in shock. I went back through the paperwork and sure enough it was 9am.
“I was just gutted. I’ve never made a mistake like that in my life.”
Ms Watkins said she’d had a tough year, losing her mum, closing her business and working multiple jobs to get by.
She said she had documentation to support her case including photos, conflicting reports from Sunshine Coast Council officers and a medical certificate outlining her mental and financial stress. But she never got the chance to present any of it.
“I wasn’t trying to dodge anything. I genuinely made a mistake. My head’s not been in a good place,” she said.
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After missing the court date, she was notified by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) that the fine had jumped to $1500, with court-related costs pushing the total above $3000.
“I don’t even know how they can justify that. I’m broke,” she said.
“Not once did anyone try to contact me before escalating it. I was just devastated.”
In July last year the state government introduced tough new dog control laws and increased the fine for not having a dog under effective control in a public place from $322 to $806.
The changes to the Animal Management Act (Cats and Dogs) 2008 also included introducing a requirement for a person to be holding the dog by a leash, lead or other restraining device.
“When these laws were brought in, which none of us were aware of, why as ratepayers and registered dog owners weren’t letters sent to make people aware of the law?” Ms Watkins said.
Last year a council spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News dog owners needed to familiarise themselves with requirements regarding animal management.
“Council has undertaken an extensive community education campaign since the new state government laws came into effect,” they said.
“During this campaign infringements were only issued where previous education had been provided.”
Ms Watkins said she was planning to speak with SPER and hoped there was still a way to appeal the penalties. In the meantime, she was hoping that by sharing her experience, others would feel empowered to question processes they feel are unfair.
“I see people struggling all the time – people on pensions paying $400 a week in rent – and the council just piles on more rules, more fines. It’s out of touch with reality,” she said.
“I just wish someone would’ve treated me like a human being and given me the benefit of the doubt.
“If this helps even one person feel less alone – or puts pressure on the council to rethink how they treat people – then it’s worth it.”
The council was contacted but declined to comment as it does not discuss court matters, referring back to the ‘Responsible dog ownership’ page of its website.
“Dog owners are responsible for their pets,” it states. “They must make sure that their dogs do not create a nuisance, endanger other animals or people, or roam outside their property.
“If dogs leave the property they must be on a lead or be supervised in off-leash areas. All dogs must be registered with council.”
