Police are investigating after a man appeared to kick a dog in the head outside a Bunnings store on Sunday. Dashcam footage captured the confronting moment a man dressed in a black shirt and grey trousers approaches the back of the ute, where the dog was waiting for his owner.
The man appears to lift his leg to kick at the dog. A second kick is delivered soon after, appearing to hit the dog in the jaw.
Pet owner Hayden Palkovics, said he was shopping in the hardware giant’s Parafield store in South Australia on Sunday when the incident unfolded.
“This guy has kicked my dog in the head twice,” Hayden shared online, appealing for information about the stranger. “This low-life stranger has come up to my dog and booted her in the head twice,” he said.
It’s understood that the footage was taken by another community member passing by.
A Bunnings spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo News the hardware giant is aware of the “deeply concerning” incident. “The safety and well-being of our customers, their pets and our team members is our top priority,” she said.
“Any conduct that places people or animals at risk is unacceptable and has no place in or around our stores.”
It comes as the store continues to grapple with rising crime across its stores.
The incident unfolded in the car park of Parafield Bunnings in South Australia. Source: Google
Bunnings urged anyone with information to contact South Australia Police, who confirmed to Yahoo News that it is investigating the incident.
“We will work with authorities in relation to their investigation if requested,” the Bunnings spokesperson added.
It’s understood that the incident was not immediately reported to Bunnings staff. The company has a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe or inappropriate behaviour in stores.
Customers are encouraged to report dangerous behaviour immediately.
Incident described as ‘horrific’ attack on dog
Palkovics added that his beloved pet is “already a rescue dog” and was “traumatised as a puppy.”
“I now understand why my dog was skittish when we got home, and she now has a sore eye,” he said.
Animal advocates described the incident as an “appalling” and “horrific attack” on an innocent animal.
“This individual needs to be held accountable,” a spokesperson from Australians Against Animal Abuse Est 2016, said.
The alleged offender was seen with an “orange or red Isuzu Dmax ute with a black wrap-around bull bar and snorkel with a large sticker below the brake light on the rear window”.
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