Holly Newman was walking her Labrador-Kelpie cross on a leash last month when it was attacked by an "aggressive, full-grown" dog.

Thankfully neither Miss Newman nor her dog were injured in the attack, however, said she said the incident had been "disappointing" and entirely preventable.

"It's the fact that I had to pick my dog up to stop the other dog from biting him," she said. "If your dog isn't good around other dogs, keep it on a lead."

Last week local hospitality worker Kate Johnson suffered a broken arm in another dog attack while out walking her German Shepherd in Bourkelands.

While there are eight off-leash areas in Wagga, Glenfield Road Animal Shelter animal welfare supervisor Julie McPhail said pet owners should be aware of their dog's boundaries before letting them off the leash.

"Responsibilities fall under legislation, so any dog that's in a public place must be under effective control by a confident person and on an adequate quarter leash," she said.

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"They have to be secured to that person as well. That would be either the owner or a person over the age of 16 and that's everywhere."

Ms McPhail said while there isn't always much you can do to prevent an altercation if you are at an off-leash location, it is the owner's responsibility to keep an eye on their dogs.

"There are so many variables and every case is different but I would ensure that as a responsible pet owner you are aware of your dog and your dog's boundaries," she said.

"Does your dog have a good recall? Have it on a lead. Socialise your dog as a puppy and make sure you introduce it to other people and dogs."

Getting your dog de-sexed is also recommended.

"Desexing is always a good one because it cuts down a dog's need to be aggressive," Ms McPhail said.

"Be aware of your surroundings. If you see a dog off the leash, if it's an unsupervised dog running about, stay calm.

"There's nothing you can do to prevent an altercation, so it's hard, if you kick out or something like that you will cause the dog to be more aggressive.

"It would just be really scary for somebody."

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