Kawakawa woman gets community service for dog attack

A woman whose dogs mauled a passerby claims she will never own a dog again at Kaikohe District Court.

A Kawakawa woman whose pet attacked and badly injured a passer-by says she will never own a dog again.

Isobel Melody Henry, 42, an invalid beneficiary, was sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court on a charge of being the owner of a dog which attacked a person causing serious injury.

The court was told the victim, a disabled woman aged 54, was walking past Henry's North Rd property on April 20 this year when two dogs rushed out and attacked. One seized her left hand while the other bit into her upper right arm and held on. The dogs then pulled her to the ground.

The attack stopped only when Henry came out of her house and called the dogs off. A neighbour also heard the commotion and came out to help. The property was fenced but had no gate, allowing the dogs to roam at will.

Henry took the victim to nearby Bay of Islands Hospital where she received a large number of stitches to her hand and arm. She was discharged that day but had to be re-admitted the following day.

One cross-breed dog was seized and destroyed but the other could not be found. Henry denied owning the second dog.

The victim's impact statement told of her fear during the attack, her scarring and subsequent nightmares. Her disabilities meant she was unable to fight the dogs off and she was now afraid to go out on her own.

Judge Keith de Ridder said Parliament had recently increased the maximum penalty for owning a dog causing serious injury from three months' jail to three years.

Henry's culpability, however, was not enough to justify jail. Her fault lay in failing to ensure the property was fully fenced and her dog contained safely on the property. She had shown genuine remorse and had taken the victim to hospital. Henry's lawyer said she had no intention of owning a dog again.

Judge de Ridder said the attack appeared to be a case of dogs' pack mentality taking over.

He sentenced Henry to 200 hours community work and ordered her to pay reparation of $312.50 to the victim at $5 a week.

The victim, who no longer lives in Northland, was present for the sentencing. The identity and whereabouts of the second dog has never been established.

-Meanwhile the Far North District Council says the dogs seized from another North Rd, Kawakawa, home have been destroyed.

Police and animal control officers were called to the property in September after two unsecured dogs were rushing schoolchildren walking to nearby Bay of Islands College.

Three more dogs, all unregistered, were found at the address. One had an injury where its chain had dug into its neck.

It is understood the owner did not claim the animals and they could not be re-homed.