Dogs viciously attack Dunedin City Council animal control officer

A Dunedin animal control officer suffered bites to her hand, leg and hip and needed six stitches for a wound to her elbow after two dogs attacked her.

Five-year-old labrador-retriever cross Rick and Tigger, a 2-year-old bull terrier cross, operated as a pack at the Waldronville property of father and son Keirin and Dylan Tutty, biting the officer and then retreating several times before biting again.

About 12.30pm on February 19, Tigger was seen on the footpath outside the Tuttys’ property before going down the driveway of a private property and approaching a fenced area where a woman kept her dog. Tigger lunged towards the fence and tried to bite the woman’s dog. The woman yelled and Tigger ran back to his own property.

The woman then found her dog was limping and a hole and blood on one of its paws. It needed first aid.

A Dunedin City Council animal control officer went to the Tuttys’ address about 4pm on February 22.

Access to the house was at the back of the property through a wooden fenced area. No signs warned of the presence of dogs.

As the officer approached the house, the dogs lunged at her and attacked, jumping towards her face and trying to bite her leg.

She tried to fend them off and managed to get to the house and, after banging on the door, was admitted by Keirin Tutty who, after apologising, told her she should not have gone to the back of the house.

On leaving the property, the officer contacted another council staff member who took her to the emergency department.

Charged under the Dog Control Act, Keirin Robert Tutty, 44, and Dylan Robert Tutty, 23, pleaded guilty by letter to three charges.

Each faced a single charge of owning a dog that attacked a person.

Dylan Tutty was also charged with failing to keep a dog under control.

In the Dunedin District Court last week, Judge Emma Smith convicted and fined the defendants $600 each and ordered court costs of $130, on the attack offence. Dylan Tutty was fined $500 and ordered to pay court costs $130, on the other charge against him.

Council prosecutor Eleanor Bunt said both dogs had now been euthanised.