An experienced Tauranga cyclist attacked twice by dogs while out riding says the “terrifying” incidents left her traumatised.
Dianne Noonan, 69, said the incidents happened four weeks apart, first in Tauranga and second between Waihī and Paeroa.
The Matua resident decided to speak out about the attacks after reading an article reporting data on dog attacks and roaming dogs in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.
Noonan said she had cycled around the world and was fit and healthy. She grew up on a farm and was not afraid of dogs, but the attacks left her shaken.
“It’s terrifying when a dog attacks you.
“I’m really comfortable with dogs. I know how to read their behaviour and I know what to do when a dog’s aggressive, but in these two situations, the dogs were on me before I even knew it.”
On September 17, she was biking the cycle lane by the Wairoa River Bridge and noticed two dogs barking and acting aggressively towards a cyclist ahead of her.
“One of the dogs climbed through the fence and proceeded to bite my right calf, then attacked my left calf before jumping up on me.
“It just squeezed through the fence and came at me before I could do anything.”
She managed to stay on the bike and flee the scene, stopping two other cyclists to warn them.
Despite a bleeding leg, Noonan cycled home before going to her doctor for a wound clean and antibiotics.
She contacted the Tauranga City Council, and a dog ranger was sent to apprehend the dog.
The dog ranger visited Noonan at home to lodge a formal report and identify the dog.
“I broke down. The identification of the dog triggered a post-traumatic response where I was very upset.”
She said the council told her six weeks later the impounded dog had been released back its owner after a council investigation.
“That really upset me. I said, ‘How can you just release it back to the owner?’ He said there were provisions, but he wouldn’t elaborate.”
Noonan did not receive a formal apology or reimbursement for medical costs from the owner. She felt dismissed by the council and was disappointed in the way they handled the situation.
“I really feel that the law needs to change regarding what happens when a dog attacks a human.
“It seems to me that dogs’ lives have more value than humans.”
Tauranga City Council animal services team leader, Oscar Glossop, said the council had repaired the fence, which appeared to have been damaged by cycleway users climbing over it as a shortcut.
He would not reveal any other outcomes of the investigation on privacy grounds, including what consequences there were for the dog or owner.
Generally speaking, for minor incidents, an owner would receive a warning, and for serious or repeat incidents, the owner can be prosecuted, and the dog impounded and euthanised.
Glossop said the alternative actions may include classifying the dog as menacing or dangerous, together with a $300 fine.
“Dog owners are responsible for keeping their dogs under control at all times.”
On October 16, four weeks after the first attack, Noonan was cycling a trail from Waihī to Paeroa.
She was attacked again by a pitbull cross. She managed to kick it off, but the dog bit her left shoe and continued to run alongside her.
Noonan said the dog’s owner managed to get it under control. Her $250 shoe was ruined, but she was relieved not to have been bitten.
“My husband’s a doctor, he said if that had been my foot, that would have been the bottom of my Achilles tendon.
“I proceeded to the police station in a distressed state to advise the police, who were then able to identify the dog and owner by a photo my husband had taken.”
She said the dog and owner were known to police, who told her it had been involved in another incident a year earlier.
“I have been advised that the dog is allowed to remain at home in a fenced environment, is desexed and registered. It has to wear a muzzle when outside of the property.”
She said the owners had given her a formal apology and offered to reimburse her for the shoes.
A Hauraki District Council spokesperson said the dog had been classified as dangerous.
Staff had visited the property and were satisfied the dog was securely housed.
“Hauraki District Council works closely with owners to ensure they understand their responsibilities.”
Ayla Yeoman is a journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Communications and Politics & International Relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2022.