Television presenter Karl Stefanovic's German shepherd, Chance, has been flagged by Australia Post as a potential danger to postal workers delivering to properties where the dog has lived or been cared for.
The eight-year-old dog, known to the Stefanovic family as Chance the Yapper, has been added to an internal warning system used by Australia Post to alert drivers and on-foot postal workers to potential hazards at addresses on their rounds.
The warning follows a dangerous dog declaration made against Chance earlier this year after an incident near Stefanovic's property on Sydney's lower North Shore.
What Australia Post confirmed
Australia Post confirmed to the Courier Mail that its system contains warnings relating to properties where Chance has been present. A spokesman for the company said no postal worker had been attacked by a dog at either of the two Castlecrag properties linked to the warning.
Chance has long been a regular feature on the Stefanovic family's social media accounts. He was photographed being walked in Castlecrag this week wearing a muzzle.
Karl Stefanovic and his wife, Jasmine, continue to deal with the fallout from an April incident that led North Sydney Council to declare Chance a dangerous dog.
Neighbourhood reaction
Residents in the affluent Sydney suburb have also spoken about the German shepherd's reputation locally. One resident told the Courier Mail that some people cross the road if they see the dog because they do not want their own pets attacked, noting that most dogs in the lower North Shore area are small and fluffy by comparison.
The April incident
The incident that triggered the declaration occurred at about 12.45pm on April 18 near an Ampol service station on Military Road in Neutral Bay, while Chance was being walked by someone other than Karl or Jasmine.
Court documents described the attack as being without provocation and said the person involved suffered a serious injury. The documents initially stated that Chance had also attacked another dog, but North Sydney Council later acknowledged that this entry was incorrect.
The council issued the dangerous dog declaration to the Stefanovics on July 15. Under the originally proposed terms, Chance would have been required to remain in an enclosure in the backyard, and the couple would have had to display a dangerous dog sign at their home. The order also carried the possibility of Chance being euthanised if its conditions were breached.
Legal challenge and settlement
The Stefanovics challenged the declaration and engaged solicitor Anne Greenaway, who specialises in dog-related legal matters. Jasmine subsequently launched legal action in Hornsby Local Court on August 6.
The matter was listed for a hearing last Thursday, at which the council and the Stefanovics reached an agreement. Under the resulting four-year control order, Chance must be muzzled and kept on a leash whenever he is walked in public.
The couple must also install a clear "Warning Dog" sign at their home within two weeks. The sign must measure at least 40cm by 40cm, with lettering at least 50mm high and 10mm wide. Chance must also undertake behavioural or socialisation training with a qualified expert within six months, with a certificate of completion then provided to the council.
What happens if the order is breached
Court documents state that the owners could be found guilty of an offence if the control order is breached. Maximum penalties for breaching a dangerous dog order include a fine of up to $16,500, five years' imprisonment, and the dog being put to sleep.
