Judith Wagstaff was attacked by a dog on Resolution Rd in Welcome Bay.
A retiree bitten by a roaming dog says it is “only luck” the attack was not far more serious, and fears it could happen again if the “menacing” dog is not found.
Judith Wagstaff approached the Bay of Plenty Times after reading about the death of Bella, a 17-year-old fox terrier killed in a dog attack at a Maungatapu park.
The Welcome Bay woman said she was attacked by a roaming dog about 11.30am on March 20 while walking along Resolution Rd, about five minutes from her home.
“As I passed a long shared driveway with two houses on either side up the top of a hill, I glanced to my left and saw a dog barrelling straight towards me.
“Within seconds, it bit my lower left leg. I lost my balance and fell over.
“Fortunately, the dog let go of my leg and ran up the road into another driveway, then disappeared.”
Wagstaff said she spoke to occupants of the two homes closest to where she was attacked, and neither recognised the dog by its description.
“It happened so fast I couldn’t even tell you the dog’s breed. It was probably a medium-sized, biscuit-coloured tan dog, but where it came from is still unknown.
“I hobbled home, grabbed a bandage, and drove myself to my doctor’s clinic.”
Wagstaff had several bite wounds and needed six stitches.
She said she filed a complaint with Tauranga City Council on March 23.
“Imagine if it had been a young mum with a toddler, an elderly and frail person, or someone walking a small fluffy dog – the injuries and outcome of the attack could have been far worse.”
Wagstaff, an animal lover who owns two cats, said she did not blame the dog.
“It’s the owner who is at fault for not controlling their animal. Clearly, it’s been allowed to roam and probably hasn’t been socialised or cared for properly.
“I just hope it’s found quickly before it attacks someone else. At the moment, when its whereabouts are unknown, it’s a menace.”
Wagstaff, who described herself as “an active, very fit 72-year-old retiree”, said the injuries had disrupted her daily routines and cost $128 in medical expenses.
Her stitches were removed last week and although the deeper wound had still been weeping, medical staff said her injuries were healing better than expected.
“I’m walking a bit more normally again. But I don’t think I want to walk around my neighbourhood until the menacing dog is found. I think a lot of people would feel just as anxious in a similar situation.”
Wagstaff said she had never been bitten by a dog before, despite growing up on a farm.
“I have also lived and worked in Southeast and Northeast Asia on and off for 35 years, where packs of roaming dogs are common, and there is the risk of catching rabies if bitten.”
Wagstaff said she supported the Government’s recently announced full review of the 1996 Dog Control Act, aimed at cracking down on roaming and out-of-control dogs.
“Dogs need to be properly cared for. And their owners need to ensure they don’t roam and endanger people and other animals.”
Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Oscar Glossop confirmed Wagstaff’s complaint was being “actively” investigated.
“Keeping our community safe is our top priority... Our thoughts are with the victim in this situation – we understand how distressing incidents like this can be.”
He said the animal services team had compared the dog’s description with known dogs in the area and had made inquiries in the neighbourhood the dog was believed to have come from.
“At this stage, we haven’t been able to identify the dog involved, and have not received any further complaints about similar attacks in the Welcome Bay area.”
Glossop said anyone seeing roaming dogs was asked to immediately report it to the animal services team.
Anyone who witnessed this attack or had first-hand information was asked to phone the Animal Services team on 07 5777 000.
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.