Owners face court over dogs that savaged girl

Gareth Clive Boyt and Charlotte Boyt outside Rotorua District Court yesterday. Photo/Stephen Parker

The owners of four dogs that attacked a 7-year-old Japanese girl in Murupara have reappeared in court.

Charlotte Boyt, 31, and Gareth Clive Boyt, 35, were jointly charged under Section 58 of the Dog Control Act with owning four dogs that caused serious injury.

They appeared before a registrar in the Rotorua District Court yesterday and were remanded at large without plea until May 21.

Several people were in the public gallery to support the two accused.

Sakurako Uehara was mauled by the Staffordshire bull terrier-cross dogs on March 3. After the attack the dogs were put down.

Sakurako faces years of reconstructive surgery to repair extensive wounds to most of her body. She suffered more than 100 bites to her face, limbs and almost every part of her body.