Fatal Northland dog attack: Family wants answers from boarder

Neville Thomson. Photo / Supplied

By Sam Olley of RNZ

The family of a man mauled to death say they have heard nothing from the owner of the aggressive dogs found at his property.

Police say Neville Thomson was attacked by someone else's dogs - not his own two pets.

He was found dead at his home in Panguru last Thursday.

His children said the attacking dogs belonged to a friend who was boarding there temporarily.

Thomson's daughter Nataria Moore (Te Rarawa) told RNZ: "Dad was trying to help him because he had some issues".

She said the boarder had been silent since her father's death and needed to stop behaving like a "coward".

"He had ample opportunity to reach out to us - he could have made a statement and he could have apologised, he could have done something," she said.

"His animals destroyed our family. Not only did they take our dad, they've gone and taken part of our childhood, which is our family home. How do we return back there knowing what went on? We will because that's how my dad brought us up. We will live through this."

Moore said her father's body had been returned from an autopsy.

"Waiting those days to even just see his face, just to actually see him, was just unbearable.

"We were so close yet so far away from him. And then when we did get to see him - shock and horror. It didn't look like our dad, but it was our dad."

Tamatekapua Thomson (Te Rarawa, Te Arawa, clan MacLeod Isle of Skye) said his father adored animals, and people should know Thomson's own pets were well cared for.

"He had pet magpies over the years, Clydesdales, we had pet pigs, chickens, and they were all our pets. We looked after them. He loved animals."

Neville Thomson was found dead at his home last Thursday. Photo / Supplied

Thomson said his father's generosity to a friend tragically backfired.

"His door was always open to anyone regardless of who you were, what you did. He didn't care. He cared about what was looking at him, what you showed him, what you showed to him. If you needed help, he was there."

RNZ asked police today if they had spoken to Thomson's boarder - they would not say, but are investigating.

Thomson's funeral will be held tomorrow.

A Givealittle page has been set up to help with costs and has raised $3000 so far.

Thomson owned two dogs and his children said they were found locked up when emergency services got to the scene.

They said he was keeping his dogs indoors away from the boarder's dogs.

When his body was found last week, police and animal control rounded up 25 neo mastiff crosses and bulldog crosses outside and took them to Far North District Council's animal shelter.

Another dog outside was shot at the scene.

Police said three aggressive dogs escaped but they had been found and also put down.