A 79-year-old man's severely injured elbow after being attacked by a dog in a Gate Pa reserve in November. Photo / Tauranga City Council
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A child who died and a 79-year-old badly injured man who needed hospital surgery are among more than 100 people attacked by dogs in a part of the Bay of Plenty in a year.
Data obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times shows there were 71 reported attacks on people in Tauranga and 30 in the Western Bay of Plenty district in the year to June 30, 2025.
The most serious case, reported widely at the time, was that of 4-year-old Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan, also known as Timoti, who died in March after being attacked.
The Bay of Plenty Times can reveal that the most serious prosecution this year involved an attack on a 79-year-old man in a Gate Pa reserve in November.
Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln said the dog’s owner was walking three dogs, two of which were off-leash and rushed at the victim. One, a young bull mastiff, severely bit the victim’s elbow.
The victim tried to block the attack, but the dog latched on before releasing him. He was left with a large open wound and required surgery at Tauranga Hospital.
Lincoln said the victim endured multiple hospital visits, home medical visits, physiotherapy and special dressings.
“He has been psychologically impacted by this attack for the rest of his life.”
He said the attack dog, which had no prior history of offending, was registered.
“This attack shows dogs can be unpredictable and owners need to stay alert to their dog’s behaviour, which can quickly change in certain circumstances.
“It was preferable to keep dogs on a leash until other people passed by or had left the area.”
Lincoln said the dog’s owner pleaded guilty to a charge of being the owner of a dog that caused serious injury at a judge-alone hearing in the Tauranga District Court in July.
The maximum penalty is three years in prison or a $20,000 fine.
The Dog Control Act also required a mandatory destruction order unless the court finds exceptional circumstances that did not warrant the dog’s destruction, Lincoln said.
The dog’s owner was ordered to pay $1000 in emotional harm reparation to the victim, and the council would be seeking a 5-year ownership disqualification, he said.
The council is also seeking to have the dog destroyed.
Roaming dogs were “another major concern”, with 1468 complaints in the 2024/2025 year, 130 more than the previous 12 months.
Lincoln said roaming dogs could become “more territorial and aggressive” and that could lead to an attack.
“Some dogs are escape artists.”
Owners could face a $300 infringement notice if their dog roamed and could be disqualified from owning a dog after three infringements within two years.
There were also 109 complaints of attacks on domestic animals in the past year.
Sixty-three owners were currently disqualified from owning a dog, normally for three years for infringement offences and up to five years if prosecuted.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council confirmed that dogs attacked 30 people and 100 animals in the year to June 30, 2025.
This was 20 fewer attacks than the previous 12 months.
This included the March 28 attack on Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan, also known as Timoti. He was visiting a property in Tuapiro in Katikati, not far from his home.
Three dogs were euthanised, and police were investigating on behalf of the coroner.
At this time, no charges had been laid.
Chris Watt, Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s acting general manager of regulatory services, said complaints over the past two years had fluctuated, and there were no significant trends.
“It’s important to note that the council is only aware of attacks when they are reported. Incidents, such as a family dog attacking someone in the same household, often go unreported to the council, but could still result in ACC claims.
“Often, we learn that a particular dog has been roaming for some time, but was only reported after an incident.”
The number of complaints about roaming dogs in the Western Bay rose 81% in 12 months.
But Watt said the increase was likely due to “heightened public awareness of the potential harm”, rather than an actual rise.
“We take the matter of roaming dogs very seriously. Roaming dogs should be approached with caution or avoided altogether.”
He said any dog found roaming would be impounded. If seen in a public place, and the owner identified, they could face a $300 infringement fee if they had previously been warned.
Tauranga council has 14,696 registered dogs, and Western Bay has 9210.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, and has been a journalist for 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.