A MACEDON Wildlife Victoria carer has been left devastated after a rescued wallaby she cared for was killed in a vicious dog attack.
Tracie Harman said she was woken by a "commotion" coming from the garage in her backyard about 6.20am last Friday.
Ms Harman, also a registered vet, had been caring for two wallabies that were rescued after their mothers were both killed by cars about eight months ago.
"I got up, ran outside and opened the door. I felt something that didn't feel like a wallaby. I grabbed it by the scruff and pulled it out. It was a staffy-cross dog."
She said a man appeared carrying a torch and took the dog off her and walked away.
"He asked me what had happened. I was screaming hysterically because it was trying to kill my babies.
"One wallaby was OK, but pretty distressed and may not survive. The other one was brain dead and had to be put down."
Ms Harman said someone would have let the dog inside the garage, which was boarded up.
"The dog was on my property and in my shed. There is no way it could have got in there on its own. This is even worse than that kangaroo being shot through the head, because this is a deliberate attack."
Ms Harman, who moved to the Macedon Ranges about five weeks ago, said she no longer felt safe in the area.
She did not get a good look at the man before he left the scene.
"To be honest, I was too hysterical at the time. I looked around for him after and I thought, Where has he gone? That's when I realised it wasn't an accident - it was deliberate.
"He obviously knows what he has done but doesn't care. Why would somebody deliberately set a dog on someone's wallabies?"
Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network spokeswoman Fiona Corke called it an appalling act.
"It's absolutely horrific to think someone would lock their dog in a shed that is tightly shut so nothing can get in for the wallabies' protection," she said.
"It continues to highlight the high amount of cruelty inflicted on wildlife on a day-to-day basis."
She said the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network was putting up a $1000 reward for prosecution and conviction under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Victorian Wildlife Act.
"It's a police matter now and we will be looking into it and charges will be laid. We have eyes and ears everywhere. It's only a matter of time before they are caught. This is the Macedon Ranges saying zero-tolerance to cruelty to wildlife. It's got to stop. We will not put up with it any longer."
She said wildlife volunteers were continually faced with horrific and traumatic acts of animal cruelty.
Macedon Ranges Council ranger Con Harboglou said he had conducted a doorknock of neighbours and would check registrations to identify owners of dogs that matched the description in the area.
Macedon police have been notified about the incident and investigations are continuing.
Information to Macedon police, 54261228.
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