Pitbulls that mauled girl were 'used to children'

The Taneatua property where the little girl was mauled has this sign warning of dogs. Photo / Alan Gibson

The two pitbulls that nearly mauled a 5-year-old girl to death were well-looked-after dogs that had played safely with children before, says the local council.

The girl, from Taneatua, south of Whakatane, underwent 10 hours of surgery at Waikato Hospital after the attack, which neighbours said left her "red with blood from head to toe".

She suffered multiple cuts to her face, neck, arms and legs after the dogs turned on her on Sunday while she visited a neighbour's property in Tuhoe Rd with her father.

The two bulldog-pitbull crosses were put down yesterday by the council, at the request of owner Michelle Hurt. She was said to be "utterly devastated" by the incident.

Whakatane District Council manager of community regulations Graeme Lewer said the dogs were not aggressive when they were taken away, and were used to playing with the owner's two children. "These were healthy, socialised, well-looked-after dogs, which were separated from the rest of the property by partitions. The attack was surprising, and very unfortunate."

He said the dogs did not immediately attack the girl when they were released in the front garden.

"They were just playing at first, pretty excited to be let out," said Mr Lewer. "The girl was accidently knocked over, but then it all changed. One attacked, then the other followed."

Ms Hurt dived on the girl to protect her, and was also bitten by the dogs. She was treated for injuries to her arms and legs at Whakatane Hospital.

A neighbour who was alerted by the commotion said both the girl and woman were covered in blood after the mauling. He said the girl looked "almost lifeless".

Ms Hurt owned two more dogs which Mr Lewer said she would be allowed to keep.

Council chief executive Diane Turner said the offending dogs were not registered, and that the Taneatua community was regularly targeted by animal control because of its poor compliance record with dog licences.

She said that registration could only do so much, and dog owners needed to be vigilant about training their dogs to interact with humans.

Waikato Hospital plastic surgeon Mr Adam Greenbaum, who operated through the night on the 5-year-old, said her injuries were potentially life-threatening. Mr Greenbaum, who immigrated to New Zealand from England, said he had seen many dog-bite injuries there.

"Banning the dogs in the UK doesn't seem to have changed them. People simply interbreed them and use them as weapons to intimidate people. All too often we see these injuries coming into our plastic surgery departments."

Whakatane police are still considering whether they will charge the dog owners.