Warning: Graphic images and content
A dog owner says a man bit his hand in a “tussle” after his elderly border collie’s throat was “ripped open” by two dogs that came on to his rural Bay of Plenty property.
The Western Bay of Plenty District Council and police have launched investigations.
Paul Gibbs and his wife, Marlene, told the Bay of Plenty Times they were traumatised after their beloved pet, Molly, was attacked by two dogs on December 4 on their property in Whakamārama, north of Tauranga.
Gibbs said neither he nor his wife saw the attack because they were in the house but were “shocked and horrified” when an injured Molly turned up on their deck about 9.15am.
“I initially thought Molly had a red collar around her neck but then we realised her throat had been ripped open from the top of her neck and right down to the bottom.”
He said his wife heard a vehicle and saw a vehicle trying to leave their property in a hurry, but their son managed to stop it as Gibbs rushed down.
The vehicle was driven by a man and inside were two large dogs Gibbs believed had attacked Molly.
“When I confronted the driver and told him I was going to call the police, he told me he would pay for everything but didn’t want the police to get involved.”
Gibbs said when the man tried to drive off, he tried to grab the keys in the ignition and during their “tussle”, the driver bit the back of his left handhard enough to draw blood.
“He bit me on the hand. For a guy to bite me – kids do that don’t they?”
He said the bite wound “bled profusely” and he later sought medical treatment.
Gibbs said during the incident two police officers driving past stopped.
They put down road spikes but were not able to stop the driver from leaving.
Police have confirmed the officers acted after seeing a “disturbance” and recognising the driver.
Meanwhile, Molly was rushed to Te Puna Vets Clinic for urgent surgery.
“The vet told us that if they couldn’t get the infection under control then there was a good chance Molly wouldn’t survive,” Gibbs said.
Molly had to have more surgery a few days later and was visiting the clinic daily for infection checks and treatment. The vet had also made several home visits.
The treatment costs were mounting, totalling about $4000 so far.
Gibbs said their 14-year-old pet, which the couple had raised from 8 weeks old, “wouldn’t hurt a fly” and was a beloved member of the family.
A tearful Gibbs said he was furious about this “unprovoked” attack.
“I’m disgusted that these two dogs could do this amount of damage to our dog that knows its boundaries and never leaves the property. Molly should have been safe.”
He said he reported the attack to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council the day it happened and he felt frustrated the dogs responsible and their owner had not been found.
Gibbs urged anyone who knew their whereabouts to contact the police or the council.
“It would kill me if these dogs went on to attack another dog, or worse if it was a child that was attacked and killed,” he said.
Gibbs said he and his wife were “blown away” by the support received from the Whakamārama and Ōmokoroa communities.
“People have made donations of money to the vet clinic to help pay for Molly’s vet bills and we have also had lots of messages of well-wishes for Molly.
“We even had a text from a woman who wanted to bring a soft toy around for Molly to sleep with. We cannot believe people have been so kind, it’s just so heartwarming.”
Max Clout, a senior veterinarian at Te Puna Vets Clinic, told the Bay of Plenty Times this attack caused lots of internal trauma with “extensive” damage to muscles and tissues underneath Molly’s puncture wounds.
He said a dog’s teeth had latched on to Molly’s throat and attacks such as these often compromised and damaged the blood supply and caused lots of infection.
He said Molly’s injuries were made worse by being “violently shaken” during the attack.
Clout said the second surgery was required to remove dead tissue.
“While there was no damage to the spinal cord, Molly may still need to have a third operation at some stage,” he said.
“Molly is not out of the woods yet. Every couple of days we check that the wound site is healing properly. Molly is on a course of antibiotics for another week at least.”
Clout said he had seen lots of horrific dog attack injuries and this one “rated highly” among them but, fortunately, Molly’s trauma was confined to muscles as opposed to nerves.
“It’s going to be a very, very long road to full recovery and heading in to hot summer months the risk of infection is greater,” he said.
Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh, from Katikati Police, said officers driving in the area stopped after “seeing a disturbance” and recognised the driver.
They laid road spikes to try to prevent the driver from leaving the area. The driver was yet to be found, he said.
Hindmarsh said officers confirmed there were two dogs in the vehicle.
He said the attack on Molly was for the Western Bay council to comment on but police were also investigating the incident and alleged assault.
In a written statement, council animal services team leader Peter Hrstichsaid he was aware of a dog attack at a private Whakamārama property on December 4.
“We are investigating the incident, but it is too early to say what action will be taken.”
Hrstich said it was important to take the time to gather all the information and available evidence so that the appropriate action was taken.
He said it was unlikely a decision would be made until the new year.
“It’s extremely distressing when there is an attack on your pet, and we will be working closely with the dog owner and keeping them informed as our investigation progresses.”
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 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.
David Seymour, Emma Higgins, Andrew Hoggard, Grant McCallum, Phil Duncan, Cheyne Gillooly.