Dogs attack after council fails to react

A woman was attacked by a pack of dogs near Whirinaki Point. File photo

A Whirinaki resident says he called Napier City Council about three roaming dogs before they attacked twice in 45 minutes - but nothing was done.

The man, who did not wish to be named, had noticed the "suspicious" canines - a male Staffordshire bull terrier, male mastiff cross and a male Rhodesian ridgeback cross, wandering alone on the beach.

He felt the "pack" could be of concern if children or other dogs emerged from surrounding houses and rang the council's after-hours line about 1.30pm.

They took his name, number and address, saying they would refer the message on.

He did not realise the area actually came under Hastings District Council - but maintains he would have been happy to call them "right away" if he had been notified of the error.

Not long afterwards, the canine trio took down a 37-year-old jogger and then turned on a woman in her early 60s, who the resident had also seen walking prior to her horror attack.

"They looked a bit suspicious, lingering, running along the beach.

"It was quite strange. I thought 'I should ring the council' so I called the number.

"An hour later they attacked the first victim."

As the owner of a pure-bred smaller dog, he avoided one end of the residential beach area, where he said the large dogs were kept and would "rush" at the fence as people walked by.

A spokeswoman for Napier City Council said there had been some "major issues" with after hours service on the weekend and their response was currently under investigation.

Two of three dogs responsible will be put down by lethal injection today but an owner of the third, Rascal, a Rhodesian ridgeback, will not relinquish the dog. The animal's fate may come down to court action.

Hastings District Council said Halo, a black-and-white male bull terrier, and Max, a brindle-and-black Neapolitan mastiff cross, had been relinquished.