The pet dog of a current Origin player has reportedly been involved in a vicious attack on the NSW central coast just months after it had been caught in a similar incident.
Thor, the Staffordshire terrier owned by South Sydney Rabbitohs lock Jai Arrow, is alleged to have come running out of a property in Bateau Bay this week, setting itself on an 11-year-old Greyhound who was being walked by a local resident. The attack proved fatal, with greyhound Ruby sustaining serious injuries.
“The other dog (Thor) was on her in a flash,” said Ruby’s owner John Gowans.
“I didn’t see it coming, I couldn’t protect her, I couldn’t do anything.”
Arrow was not with Thor at the time but had reached out to the Gowan family in the aftermath with the hopes of reconciliation.
“I just wanted to see if the injured party wanted to talk. I just want to help. In regards to the incidents, I haven’t been there for either of them. I’ve had people who I trusted look after Thor and things went pear-shaped.”
The Gowan family have not responded to Arrow’s communication attempts,
It’s since been revealed that Thor was being looked after by a teenage family member, who left both a gate and a door unlocked prior to the second fatal attack.
The most-recent occurrence follows a similar incident in April, where Thor attacked a miniature schnauzer on Bronte Beach while under the care of Rabbitohs teammate Liam Knight as Arrow recovered in hospital.
Though Arrow paid the $10,000 in veterinary bills, the incident saw Thor declared a dangerous dog by the Waverley council, a judgement meaning he was required to be muzzled and on a leash. Arrow was also supposed to inform the council if Thor was being moved – a requirement that had apparently not been met prior to the latest attack.
Arrow has now appointed a defence lawyer in an attempt to mediate the incident and ensure Thor is not put down by Central Coast Council.
Though Arrow’s team have been able to allay that process for now, an official judgement is yet to be made regarding Thor’s future.