Ōtūmoetai dog mauling: Owner of attacked pet urges mandatory prosecution

“Something has to change. No one should have to go through this.”

Those are the words of a man who said his small dog could have died after being mauled by a group of larger dogs in Ōtūmoetai on March 5.

The man, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, is calling for mandatory prosecution of all owners of dogs involved in violent injury attacks, a call Tauranga’s MP supports.

The man said his wife was walking their 11-year-old female dog on a lead near the intersection of Sherwood St and Little John Dr when three or four larger dogs escaped from a car and attacked.

The dog was left with multiple injuries and needed two surgeries, with no guarantee of success, and weeks of ongoing care.

“My wife entered hyper‑focus mode and tuned out everything else as she tried to save our dog," the man said.

“I’m told that at some point, my brave wife ended up on her hands and knees leaning over our dog. Luckily, she didn’t get attacked, but she suffered grazes and bruising.”

He said the veterinarian described their dog’s injuries as “among the top five worst” they had seen.

Two‑thirds of the dog’s back skin was ripped off and a large chunk of muscle was torn from a back leg. She also had a dislocated hip and a broken fibula.

He said the emergency surgery and a second operation on March 11 to remove dead tissue cost $9200.

The dog was heavily bandaged and would need dressing changes in the coming weeks, adding further expense.

“Our dog has perked up a little bit, but it’s very early days in her recovery.

“We are tremendously grateful to all those kind people who helped at the scene, and those who took the time to gather and present evidence to the police and the council.”

The owner said New Zealand’s dog control laws needed urgent review so dogs responsible for serious injury attacks could be immediately seized and put down.

“We also need mandatory prosecution for owners of violent dogs,” he said.

“If there were a violent human on the loose attacking other people, the police would be out there straight away taking the person into custody, and charging them.

“Next time, it could be someone’s child. Something has to change. No one should have to go through this.”

A Sherwood St resident, who asked not to be named, said she was in her bathroom when she heard a horrendous noise and screaming. She saw the woman trying to protect her dog, and called the police.

A man who stopped to help jumped on to the roof of his van to avoid being bitten and injured his chin. He drove the injured dog and owner to a veterinary clinic.

The resident said the owner of the attack dogs got them back inside her car and drove off.

She believed the council should have acted immediately to seize the dogs and prosecute their owner.

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Photo / Alex Cairns

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said dog attacks were “devastating and often avoidable” and owners should take responsibility for themselves and control their dogs.

“My position is that when there is a serious dog attack, the owner should be prosecuted and the dog put down, and that position is consistent with the views of victims I’ve spoken to.”

Uffindell said the safety of attack victims and the community should come first.

He said councils had the power to prosecute owners, but people were concerned that councils were not exercising that power.

“I’ve even heard of dangerous dogs being given back to their bad owners with no prosecution. How does that happen? It’s not good enough. It fails the victims and puts the rest of the community at risk.”

On March 21, the Government ordered a review of the decades-old Dog Control Act in a bid to crack down on roaming and uncontrolled dogs.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts said Local Government NZ and councils had been clear that the Act was outdated and stopping them from doing their jobs.

The attacked dog’s owner said he welcomed the news, but the Government moved “at the pace of a paua”, and he believed there would be more attacks before the review was completed.

Tauranga City Council regulatory and community services general manager Sarah Omunsden said the council was “actively investigating” the attack.

“Our thoughts are with the dog and the owner affected by this attack.”

The council had received multiple reports about the attack, and Omundsen said one dog had been seized with the police’s assistance.

“We’ve been in regular contact with the injured dog’s owner, but cannot provide further details as it could compromise the investigation.”

Omundsen said the animal services team’s “top priority” was keeping the community safe, and urged residents to report roaming dogs or attacks immediately.

The council supported a full review of the 30-year-old Dog Control Act, Omundsen said.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.