Owner of dog that attacked nurse on home visit ordered to pay her $1000 compensation

Smokey with his owner Pounamu Morunga-Cooper. Photo / Supplied

A woman whose dog attacked and badly wounded a nurse during a home visit in Hastings has been ordered to pay the nurse $1000.

Pounamu Morunga-Cooper earlier pleaded guilty in the Hastings District Court to one charge of owning a dog which caused injury.

Her mastiff labrador cross, Smokey, attacked a district health board nurse at a Bledisloe St house on March 24.

The nurse phoned and a pre-arranged to visit to the house which was the home of the patient, Morunga-Cooper's grandfather.

Smokey, the dog has been put down. Photo / Supplied

She'd never visited the address before and saw on the file that a dog was on the property.

Upon arrival she called Morunga-Cooper's grandfather from outside and was advised it was safe to come in.

The Bledisloe St house and the gate Smokey jumped. Photo / Supplied

Upon entering the property she couldn't help but notice a "barking" and "aggressive" dog behind a second gate further up the drive.

She tried to avoid walking too close to the fence where he was and walked diagonally across the lawn to the front door.

When she was halfway there, Smokey launched himself over the fence and rushed at her. He bit her feet, causing her to fall forward onto the ground.

The nurse was nearly at the front steps with one hand on the step and the other over her head to protect herself.

The dog then bit through her uniform and latched onto her right buttock as she screamed for help.

Another woman rushed out of the house and yelled at the dog and the nurse was able to make it into the house.

X-rays showed the woman suffered serious deep puncture wounds and bruising to her right buttock, the biggest being 2cm long and 2.5cm deep.

Morunga-Cooper's lawyer Matt Dixon told Judge Mackintosh that the dog had since been "destroyed and cremated", and said it was "a difficult experience for the young woman".

The judge noted that since the attack the nurse's wounds "had to be dressed every day", she was unable to drive and that she felt "quite traumatised as a result of the attack".

The Bledisloe St house has since had a new fence installed. Photo / Warren Buckland

"I don't think you appreciated the serious nature at the time. The matter was put off for restorative justice, but you chose not to get in touch. The matter has been a lesson for everyone concerned," she said.

Morunga-Cooper was ordered to pay emotional harm costs of $1000, additional medical costs of $311 and $130 of court costs.