Hastings man attacked by dog metres from own home

Magnus the dog who was with owner Wayne O'Donnell when he was bitten by a roaming dog in Hastings, stopped any further damage from being done. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Hastings Navy veteran is angry that he wasn't able to march in this year's Anzac dawn parade after being bitten on the leg by a roaming dog.

As a result, Wayne O'Donnell, 68, no longer feels safe walking his dogs down his street.

He was walking his pet Magnus on Easter weekend when he was bitten by a dog that "came out of nowhere".

O'Donnell said the "brown pit-bull cross looking dog" bit the outer side of his calf, releasing only once Magnus bit the other dog.

"It would have been much worse without Magnus there," O'Donnell said.

Since the attack, Magnus has been extra protective around new people and other dogs.

He was only 30m from his house in Mayfair and his partner, who was in the front yard with their two smaller dogs, witnessed it.

"I thought, God, next thing, he'll be over, and the bloody thing [the dog] will be at his face," she said.

After visiting Hastings Medical Centre Emergency Department, O'Donnell called the Hasting District Council to report the attack.

O'Donnell needed no stitches, but the bite caused swelling as well as muscle and tissue damage.

The attack was physically and mentally scarring and caused unexpected and unnecessary expenses.

After three trips to receive medical attention and x-rays, the cost started to add up.

O'Donnell's partner usually walks the couple's two smaller dogs.

O'Donnell can't walk the dogs now, and even if he could, he said he would be a bit hesitant and he is worried when his partner takes the dogs out.

Navy veteran Wayne O'Donnell in 2014 holding half of his cancerous tumour and his navy medals, one a medal for observing the atomic bomb testing by the French at Mururoa Atoll. Photo / Warren Buckland

"It scares the s*** out of me," O'Donnell said.

As O'Donnell was bitten on a public holiday, council Animal Control couldn't take his statement until seven days later.

A week after the attack, he is still struggling to walk far and is still in pain.

O'Donnell is a New Zealand Navy veteran who can't remember the last time he missed marching at a dawn service.

This year, because of the dog bite, he could not march on Anzac Day with his fellow veterans.

Although the bite has been painful and inconvenient, O'Donnell is relieved it was him instead of a child.

"The council needs to do something about the dogs on the streets. They are not allowed to be roaming, so why are they?" he said.

HDC regulatory solutions manager John Payne said Animal Control is active 24/7.

"We action complaints, issue infringement notices and impound about 1000 dogs every year."

Many in Hastings feel they have seen a rise in roaming dogs over the past few years, but Payne says it's the opposite.

He said numbers had significantly decreased over the past four years, despite the number of dogs increasing in line with population increases.

"There may have been an increase recently due to Covid-19 and people being at home as this provides more opportunity for doors and gates to be left open.

"When a public member is attacked or bitten by a dog, animal control undertakes a full investigation, interviewing complainants, victims, witnesses and offenders.

"Depending on the seriousness and circumstances, the dog may be seized and impounded, pending the outcome of prosecution," said Payne.

Animal Control has said there would be a full investigation of the dog attack on O'Donnell.