Family slams dog attack delay

LEFT IN THE LURCH: Damien Helferty and Charlotte Dickens are angry council and police failed to take responsibility when dogs savaged their sheep last weekend. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A Featherston family whose sheep were savagely attacked by dogs say they will buy a gun to shoot marauding animals, claiming they were let down by council and police.

Damien Helferty and partner Charlotte Dickens woke at 5am on Sunday to find their six sheep had been mauled.

The couple, who do not own a gun, waited for more than three hours for help while the dogs roamed outside their house.

Miss Dickens said they feared for the safety of their livestock and their three young daughters, and contacted both the police and the South Wairarapa District Council.

The police advised it was a council matter, but when Miss Dickens contacted the council she was told no one was available to attend.

She was told the council officer normally responsible for capturing dogs was unavailable and the council was unable to deal with aggressive dogs.

"At one time we were told no one was coming and we didn't know what to do ... I want to know who is going to come if this happens again."

Waiting three hours was not good enough, Mr Helferty said.

"Who is responsible? And if it's the council then there's a big hole in the system. Questions need to be asked as to if it happens again - God forbid - who is responsible and who is going to put their hand up? As far as I can see there isn't really a system."

He was able to chase one of the dogs off the property using his vehicle and, after several further phone calls, two police officers were dispatched to their lifestyle block.

The council then sent contractor City Care to capture the remaining dog, which had to be tasered by police.

One ewe and one lamb mauled in the dog attack have since been put down and others remain injured.

It was the second time this year their sheep had been attacked, Mr Helferty said.

The couple moved to Featherston a year ago from the Hutt Valley with the idea of "living the dream" - raising sheep and chickens, growing vegetables and having enough space for the children to run around, Mr Helferty said. "So far all we've had is the nightmare ... we've had two dog attacks and been robbed."

South Wairarapa District Council planning and environment manager Murray Buchanan said the bylaw officer normally assisted City Care with dangerous dogs after hours, but was unable to attend. "Our expectation in that sort of thing is that the situation would be escalated to the police."

The council would be discussing the issue with police as well as reviewing its own systems and processes, he said. "We acknowledge it was an unsatisfactory outcome but, in this set of circumstances, that was what happened and sometimes these things happen."

"We don't want to have it happen again."

It was a rare event and had not occurred before in the past three years, Mr Buchanan said. Two dogs have now been impounded and it was likely they would be put down, he said.

Police were contacted for comment, but had not responded by the time this edition went to press.