Dog destroyed after attack on 4-year-old

A dog that attacked a woman and her 4-year-old brother in Tauranga has been destroyed.

The unregistered staffordshire bull terrier-cross was destroyed on Friday after the attack in which the 23-year-old woman was bitten trying to protect her brother from the animal.

The attack occurred on February 12 while the victims were visiting the dog's owner, Rosemary Hera Crawley, at her Papamoa home.

The dog was tied to a post but it rushed from the deck and leapt at the boy, scratching both legs and ripping his shorts.

The boy's sister put herself between the dog and her brother but it pushed her up against the fence and bit her on the thigh and calf.

She managed to lift her brother over a fence before jumping the fence herself to escape further attack.

The woman was off work for two days.

Her brother was left with deep scratches and bruising.

Brent Lincoln, team leader of animal services at Tauranga City Council, said the dog was destroyed on Friday after its owner surrendered it.

Crawley pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court last month to a charge of being the owner of a dog which attacked a person.

She was fined $250 plus $132.89 court costs and ordered to pay $300 towards the victims' medical expenses, which she had already offered to do.

Crawley pleaded with Judge Robert Wolff to not sign the destruction order as it was a guard dog and a beloved pet.

But Judge Wolff told Crawley that "his hands were tied".

This case followed that of a 13-year-old Te Puke girl whose arm was bitten when she was attacked by a neighbour's pitbull in Maketu last month.