Dog classified as dangerous attacked woman walking down street two months later

The owner of a dog that attacked a woman has been ordered to pay $1000 in fines, and $130 in court costs. Photo / File.

A dog classified as dangerous in February repeatedly attacked a woman two months later, forcing her to seek refuge on top of a nearby car.

In the Hastings District Court on Tuesday, the dog's owner, Nasair Newton-Sebley, 22, was sentenced over the attack.

He faced two charges under the Dog Control Act 1996 for failing to keep a dog under control and for being the owner of a dog that attacked a person.

On Tuesday, Judge Bridget Mackintosh ordered the destruction of the dog, and fined Newton-Sebley, who did not appear, $1000.

On April 15 of this year, the victim was walking down Cunningham Cres, Mayfair to a friend's house, when the dog, a black and tan coloured Huntaway male called "Trey" rushed towards her and bit her on her left arm.

The dog owner's father, who was looking after it at the time, rushed out of Cunningham Cres property to help, but the dog bit her again.

The victim suffered puncture wounds to her left arm, which required 10 stitches. Photo / Supplied.

He called to the dog and tried unsuccessfully to control him. The dog bit the woman a further two times on the arm.

She then jumped on to a nearby car roof to avoid the dog's attack.

She suffered a puncture wound to her left arm that needed 10 stitches, a bruised right arm, a bloodshot eye and a wound to the left side of her stomach.

Animal control was called immediately and the animal was impounded. On June 10, Newton-Sebley surrendered ownership of the dog to the Hastings District Council.

In an explanation given to investigators by Newton-Sebley on May 21, he said he was at work at the time and thought that the dog was tied up at the back of his house.

He said that the dog would do this again but could be chained up and muzzled. He explained that he is a "good dog but with other people he is different".

"Trey" has a history of aggression.

On February 5, the dog attacked a person who was hospitalised and required surgery, a week after he rushed a person, according to the summary of facts.

"Trey" was impounded as a result of the attack and classified as dangerous under the Dog Control Act on February 21.

Speaking to Hawke's Bay Today, the victim said she felt "traumatised".

She said she climbed on the roof of the car to "save" herself.

"By then, I was pretty much crying. I just wanted him to stop but I knew he wouldn't ... he would have kept going if I didn't jump on the roof."

However, destroying the dog was "bittersweet", she said.

She grew up with animals and said she "felt for the dog because it was not his fault".

"It is a bit sad that he [the dog] is gone but at the end of the day I would rather him where he is, due to the fact that he could have hurt someone down our street," she said.

"I brought up dogs and if you train them well, they listen to your command. Whereas this dog didn't listen at all, he just didn't stop."

Even now, she still gets "a bit frightened walking down the street where I live".