Onekawa School siblings, Harrison Atkins 6, Morgan Atkins 10, had a close encounter with a roaming dog. Luckily they remembered what they had recently been told and were able to ward off the dog without potential injury.
When a strange dog approached Morgan and Harrison Atkins outside Onekawa School, the pair knew just what to do.
A mere three weeks earlier, Napier City Council had visited the school to run its Dog Education programme, which teaches children how to be safe around dogs, especially those which arealone.
Morgan, 10, and Harrison, 6, were walking to school and were just past the bus stop, when the dog started following them.
Harrison and Morgan Atkins with Onekawa School principal Steve Bloor. Photo / Warren Buckland
"Harrison gave me his scooter, and he started putting his bag out in front of him, and then I did the same, and I picked his scooter off the ground, and I started shaking it in front of us, and he stopped for a minute and backed off."
"He didn't have a collar, so he looked like a real stray dog, and we didn't know if he was a friendly dog or not a friendly dog."
Luke Burton with Fluffy the dog. Photo / Supplied
He said he was unable to get to the students immediately, but saw them do what they had learnt in training.
"They weren't scared, they weren't panicked, they said they remembered what happened from the training so they did exactly that."
He said without the training from the council, the siblings would not have known what to do, and the situation could have potentially become dangerous.
Animal Control Officer Luke Burton said it was great to hear the two children remembered what to do when the dog approached them.
"They both acted bravely, confidently and safely.
"I'm so pleased the advice I was able to pass on to the children recently has helped to keep them safe in this situation."
So far this year, Napier City Council has delivered the education programme to 1500 across Napier, using a life-sized rottweiler toy named Fluffy to demonstrate various situations.
Burton said if a dog is on its own, leave it alone.
If possible, children should safely cross the road, and tell an adult about the dog.
He said if approached by the dog, do as the Atkins siblings did, putting an item such as a schoolbag, scooter or bike in front of them and backing away slowly while shaking the item.
He said it was important to not run or turn your back, but do not look the dog in the eye or show your teeth.
