Kaikohe man attacked by dogs for fifth time

Jim Tom Morgan and his dog Sandy recovering from an earlier attack. Picture / Debbie Beadle

Kaikohe man Jim Morgan and/or his little mate Sandy had been attacked by dogs four times over a period of several years when the 95-year-old set off on one of his thrice-daily walks on Monday afternoon. Before he got home the tally had risen to five.

Two large dogs set upon him a short distance from his home in Harold Ave, one sinking its teeth into his hip, inflicting puncture wounds. He had fended one off with his walking stick, but the attack ended only when someone from the property pulled the dogs away.

Less than two months earlier Mr Morgan's dog Sandy was euthanased after an attack by six dogs, neighbour Cynthia Moran saying the Far North District Council had utterly failed to deal with the town's uncontrolled dog problem.

"This type of dog attack has been going on since 2000 at least, if not before," she said.

"We are very angry with what we believe is the totally dysfunctional management of the dog problem here in Kaikohe. Any day or night you will see dogs roaming, ready to attack some innocent person."

Mr Morgan was profoundly deaf and legally blind, so never heard or saw dogs before they attacked him.

"He would love to get another dog after losing Sandy, but he knows, as we do, it is simply not safe for him to do so," she added.

"He is a strong-willed old man, and tries to get out for a walk at least three times each day to keep his strength up. Many a person would have simply folded their tent and given up. We see him out on his walks each day, and have been expecting this to happen again."

Mrs Moran and her husband Garry had themselves been threatened by a dog, a rottweiler, on the cycle trail on Saturday, as it was walked, without a leash, by its owner.