Whangārei woman hurt in pack dog attack praises stranger who helped her

Phillipa Te Paea Pehi says she was terrified her best friend Chief was going to be killed in the attack. Photo / Supplied

A Whangārei woman injured as she protected her pet dog being attacked by a trio of canines has paid tribute to the mysterious man who helped her.

Phillipa Te Paea Pehi only knows her saviour as Jacob but says he was an "angel" who didn't think twice about helping a woman covered in blood "bawling her eyes out" in the middle of a road.

"What an awesome human being ... he didn't know me from a bar of soap and I'm here with this great big dog and he didn't even hesitate. That's something to aspire to."

Pehi and a friend were taking her 4-year-old German Shepherd named Chief for a second walk along Raumanga Valley Rd last Monday afternoon when the most "terrifying moment" of her life unfolded.

"The ironic thing is that I've walked the length of the country three times, I've crossed overflowing rivers, climbed mountains in storms but this is the most traumatic event I've experienced."

It started with the sounds of dogs barking from inside a nearby fully fenced property.

"Then all of a sudden this huge lab [labrador] came along and started attacking Chief."

People at the property said the labrador had escaped after biting at the gate and eventually pulling the latch off.

Two other smaller dogs of different breeds also fled through the property's busted gate to join the attack.

Pehi instantly went to the defence of her "best friend" by hitting the dogs, who were not wearing any collars that could be used to pull them off.

"I think that is when I became aware I was screaming," she said.

Her friend tried to pull one of the dogs away but couldn't move it.

Chief had managed to fend off two dogs until a third attempted to go under him.

"I wasn't terrified for myself, I was terrified they were going to kill Chief," Pehi said.

Phillipa Te Paea Pehi says she was terrified her best friend Chief was going to be killed in the attack. Photo / Supplied

"That's when I put my leg out to stop that dog from ripping Chief's groin out. That is when I think I got bit."

"Blood was p****** out - all over him, all over me, all along the road. I just assumed it was from him."

A woman from the property came to Pehi's aid and got the three dogs – who were much loved pets - under control. She also asked Pehi if she was okay.

"She just kept saying, 'this has never happened before'," Pehi said.

The friend ran for help as Pehi's wound – masked by her trouser leg – continued to bleed, and she stood "bawling" in the middle of the residential road.

"I looked over and there was this man looking out the window of his car at me."

The man, in a thick South African accent, asked if Pehi was okay.

"I was crying and said no. He got out opened the door for us to get in," she said.

"We were getting blood all over the backseat of his car."

The group thought Chief was bleeding out, so Jacob urgently drove to Mill Rd Veterinary Clinic in Kensington.

During the journey the man helped comfort a shaken Chief: "you're alright".

Pehi said Jacob stayed at the vets and called an ambulance for her once it was discovered the blood was hers.

Friends arrived at the vet a short while later to take a shaken and nauseous Pehi to the hospital.

Before she left she gave Jacob a big hug and thanked him, to which he replied: "of course."

"I am so, so grateful for the help this amazing man gave me that day. Yes, it was a traumatic experience but it helped restore my faith in humanity."

Both the police and dog control were contacted following the incident, and the three dogs were eventually uplifted.

Pehi loves dogs and didn't want to see anyone unnecessarily lose their pets.

"I've met some really cool dog owners but it still highlighted, for me, just how careful us dog owners need to be because things can still happen despite the best intentions we may have."

World-renowned dog behaviourist and psychologist Mark Vette said despite the way dogs have evolved their packing instinct can still carry through – it could especially manifest between dogs who live together.

Fence fighting – where dogs run up and down the fence line often barking – can trigger actual fights between canines.

"Fence fighting leads to a very high arousal level in dogs. Meeting through the fence can potentially be a recipe for a fight."

"It's not an unusual situation for dogs to pack – it's part of their very sophisticated social system and social behaviour."

Vette said it was important dogs were introduced appropriately and had the chance to build a bond – with people too to prevent dogs re-directing any attacks on to a person.

"Meet the person, meet the dog, build their relationship as that will carry through."

To prevent fence fighting he recommended people cross the road with their dogs to prevent heightening arousal levels.

Vette said the best action people could take was to learn about dogs and their behaviour, as well ensure dogs were well-socialised with different species and people of all ages and ethnicities.