Owner in shock after pet dog badly mauled

Jorg Thamm, vet, with Misty who has endured at least four hours of surgery for serious wounds.

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A woman's pet dog has been almost mauled to death in a vicious attack at a city park. The dog underwent four hours of surgery and is still recovering more than four days later.

Judi Casey arrived at Memorial Park about 3pm on Saturday to walk her bichon poodle, Misty.

"I looked around to see if there were any dogs around because she has been attacked before," she said.

Jorg Thamm, vet, with Misty who has endured at least four hours of surgery for serious wounds after being attacked by another dog at a popular Tauranga park.

"I let her out of the car. I barely got to the side of the road when this voice behind me said 'look out'.

"Next thing I know, this big black dog was on top of her, just trying to eat her."

Miss Casey said she tried kicking the black dog off Misty but with no success.

A man she had just parked next to, who had been carrying his baby, managed to use both hands to remove the dog and throw it across the road.

"If it hadn't have been for the chap ... she would have been killed," Miss Casey said.

"He saw the dog. I didn't see it or hear it. In a split second this dog was on my dog, seriously wounding her."

Miss Casey was confronted with a scene which she said has left her "completely traumatised".

"I was hysterical. My dog was howling, howling, howling in the middle of the road."

Miss Casey said the owner of the dog was parked in a car further down but came up and kicked his dog and put it in the back of the car. She said the owner did not apologise to her but the bystander who helped remove the dog managed to get the dog owner's details.

She took Misty to the vets, where she was still recovering yesterday afternoon.

"Her injuries were serious enough that it's taken four hours of surgery.

"Her skin which was all pink had gone all black and they had to peel all of that off."

Miss Casey has owned Misty for nearly 12 years.

She's a much loved pet and to me it's your democratic right to take your dog on a lead and not have if be attacked.

Judi Casey

"She's an older dog. She's not that confident anymore.

She said the attack happened fast.

"This dog was obviously uncontrolled. This dog was in the bush. It's seen my dog and came across and attacked her. It was that quick."

Miss Casey said the attack has had a terrible effect on her personally.

"I'm just feeling very unnerved by the whole incident.

"She's a much loved pet and to me it's your democratic right to take your dog on a lead and not have if be attacked."

Miss Casey said she wanted to share her story as a cautionary tale for others.

"The man who rescued my dog had a baby playing on the grass just moments before I arrived.

"If that dog could do what it did to my dog ... people just need to be so conscious of other dogs. Some of them are just feral.

''... that's the big concern - that the dog was not under control.

Tauranga city animal services' Brent Lincoln

"When they attack, there is nothing else in their mind but attack."

Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln said the offending dog, a border collie, had been impounded and they were expecting to speak to the dog's owner today about his version of events.

"The seriousness of the incident, from what I understand the dog has received fairly serious injuries, that's the big concern - that the dog was not under control."