Passer-by leaps to rescue of dog attack victim

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A passer-by is being hailed a hero after he jumped over a fence and repeatedly whacked a dog with a broom stick to stop it from attacking its owner.

A woman is in Waikato Hospital with "significant" injuries to her face and neck after she was attacked by the dog that she had raised since it was a pup.

A Hamilton man, described as being in his late 20s, was walking past the Avalon Dr property in Hamilton at about 3pm today on his way back from the doctors when he saw the woman in her 30s pinned to the ground on her front yard.

He jumped over the side fence and started hitting the five-and-half-year-old mastiff cross with a broom that had been lying on the lawn.

Neighbour Sheryl Featonby said she opened the front door and initially thought the man was attacking the woman before realising he was trying to stop the dog who was tearing huge hunks of skin off the woman's stomach, face and neck.

"I thought 'oh my god', there's so much blood. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen in my life. He (the dog) had her pinned down to the ground. He (the man) smashed and smashed the dog and sort of knocked it out. And it (the dog) came to and it was sitting there and we could see it and it was going to go for him."

As the dog lunged at him, he yelled at it to go inside and then shut the door after it.

The man's partner stood on the other side of the fence watching in horror. She also called police from her mobile phone.

Ms Featonby said the woman lived on her own and had owned the dog for a number of years and it was a shock to see her with serious wounds.

Kelvin Powell, Hamilton City Council's City Safe Manager said the victim was the dog's owner and she had had the animal since he was a pup.

The dog was a mastiff cross, aged 5 years and 11 months and was the only animal registered at the property.

"At this stage our focus is on understanding the facts of the incident and seizing the dog.

"A check of Animal Control records shows the animal was given a 'menacing' classification in 2010, following an incident involving another dog. That 'menacing' classification requires the animal to be de-sexed, muzzled and on a leash in public. There have been no further reports relating to this dog since 2010.

"Council staff are attempting to enter the property to seize the dog. Once the dog is impounded, it will be dealt with under the Dog Control Act.

"Until we've carried out a full investigation, it would be premature to offer any other comment at this time."