A 28-year-old Perth man is fighting to prevent his American bulldog from being euthanized after it attacked his Tinder date, leaving her with a hole in her face that required 21 stitches and plastic surgery. Joshua Walker pleaded guilty to being liable for his eight-year-old dog, Texas, which bit the woman in the early hours of Christmas morning last year.
The Perth Magistrates Court heard that Walker and the woman met on Tinder and returned to his Morley home after drinks at a hotel. Walker asked her to wait while he secured Texas outside, but when she entered, the dog was inside. The woman extended her hand for the dog to sniff, but it lunged and bit her face. Prosecutor Tim Houweling said the attack left a chunk taken out of her face and a hole requiring extensive medical treatment, with recent photos showing scarring.
Texas was found to be unregistered, and Walker had not provided microchip details to the local council. The council seeks destruction of the dog due to the severity and unexpected nature of the attack. Walker's lawyer, Alex Smith, disputed that the woman was bitten after reaching out her hand, claiming she leaned over the dog. Smith said Walker has owned Texas since puppyhood, describing the dog as friendly but territorial, and that the woman entered before Walker could secure the dog.
Smith also denied the woman's claim that the dog mauled and chomped her cheek, insisting it bit once. Walker assisted the woman immediately and drove her to two hospitals. He opposes the destruction order, though Texas is currently reported missing. Prosecutor Houweling urged a penalty to send a message about dangerous dogs, citing a rise in dogs kept for protection. Walker seeks a spent conviction to avoid a criminal record.
