Pup stuns owners by attacking 6-year-old

More than 5800 of the bites required hospitalisation and surgery - an average of two admissions every day. Photo / Thinsktock

A 6-year-old boy is recovering in hospital with facial injuries after being bitten in the face by a dog.

The lad was staying with his aunt and uncle for the weekend in their Spinley St, Te Awamutu, home when the staffordshire-ridgeback cross puppy bit the boy's cheek about 7pm on Saturday.

The boy's uncle told the Herald they had no idea their dog was capable of attacking people and immediately agreed to destroyed the dog, which they got in February.

"It was the right thing to do," he said.

The man said his nephew was recovering well in Waikato Hospital.

The couple, who said they felt awful about what happened, were off to visit him yesterday afternoon.

"He's all right, he's just wanting a chocolate milkshake now. He's been complaining there's no Wi-Fi in the ward and there's nothing to do."

The man said the dog had grown up fast, was quite big and excitable for his age and was going through a teething phase.

He knew some people watched their dogs interact with children all the time but sometimes it wasn't that easy.

A Waipa District Council spokesman said staff were alerted to the incident by police about 8.30pm.

The council was liaising with the police on whether charges would be laid. However, staff were yet to receive a complaint from the boy's parents.

In a report released in July, council staff told of a small increase in reported attacks (81, compared to 75 at the same time last year) but received fewer complaints (156 compared to 187) about attacks, rushing or aggressive dogs.

No prosecutions had been undertaken in the last three years.

The boy's attack was not the only one to occur on Saturday.

In Rotorua, a 50-year-old man suffered moderate injuries when he was attacked by a dog understood to be a pitbull.

By the time animal control officers arrived at the scene on Clayton Rd, the dog was dead. The injured man was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries to his leg and arm.

ACC statistics reveal there were 18,806 claims involving dogs for the 2014/15 period costing $10,303,510. In 2014/15 that grew to 19,145 claims, which cost more than $12 million.

An ACC spokesman said the number of injuries was proportional to the number of animals in New Zealand, not because they present the greatest danger.

As for dog-related injuries, they were not specific to attacks and included being kicked, butted or bitten and accidents involving people falling over dogs, dogs standing on toes, or getting an infected flea bite from a dog.

Man's best friend?

• Nearly 100,000 dog bites occurred in New Zealand in the last 10 years.
• More than 5800 of the bites required hospitalisation and surgery - an average of two admissions every day.
• The highest risk groups are children under 9, Maori and those living in low socio-economic areas.
• Of the bites, 69.8 per cent occurred at private residences.