A security company is under fire after a photo was snapped of a guard dog being held in a small cage at the demolition site of the former Toombul shopping centre in Nundah, Brisbane.
Nundah local Kelly Harris told 9news.com.au she was walking a neighbour's dog with her husband on Monday afternoon when she spotted the miserable-looking animal in a cage.
Harris said the guard dog, which appeared to belong to the canine unit of a security contractor hired by site owners Mirvac, was howling and could not even sit up in the tiny, wired enclosure.
"I heard the dog before I saw it - that's how loud it was. And when I saw it, I was just in tears," Kelly said.
"It was disgusting. I said to (my husband), 'This is not on'," she said.
Harris claims she and her husband tried to alert the security staff about their concerns for the dog but they were ignored.
The dog then appeared to partially break free from the cage by itself, Harris said.
"It broke the front of the cage off and got its neck out and it was thrashing around," Harris said.
However, because the dog's leash was tied to the middle of the cage, it remained tethered and was attempting to drag the cage around, Harris said.
Harris then lost sight of the dog and cage and said she was told to move on by security staff.
When Harris returned to walk past the site a short time later the animal could not be seen.
Harris said she felt compelled to post the photo she took of the dog on social media to spread the news of its plight.
"I just wanted people to see how they were treating the dog," she said.
"If they need to put it in a cage, put it in one with a runner, where it can stand up and it's got a water bowl. Not a cage that you would probably take possum hunting. It broke my heart."
Mirvac has defended the actions of its independent contractors, saying the company followed a "strict animal welfare code of practice".
"The security team confirmed cages are used to transport security dogs to and from the site, which is for the safety of the dog and handler. Transport is undertaken for the shortest practicable time," a spokesperson for Mirvac said in a statement.
"The health and safety of working animals is of the utmost importance to our security contractor and ourselves and we are assured by our security contractor that safe handling practices are upheld at all times."
The incident comes as demolition is underway at the former Toombul shopping centre, which was destroyed by floods in 2022.
Recently, the site has become an attraction for urban explorers eager to get a last look inside the abandoned shopping centre.
The trespassers have been warned of the dangers of going inside the buildings, which the Mirvac spokesperson said was "no longer structurally sound".
9news.com.au has contacted the security company hired by Mirvac for comment.
A spokesperson for the company said they were investigating the matter and would put out a statement shortly.
