The mother of the teen, who spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times on the condition she and her son were not named, said he and his friend had been fishing on April 23 and were walking home through the reserve between 6pm and 6.30pm when they heard “loud squealing” coming from a bush area.
Her son told the Bay of Plenty Times a search soon revealed a man with two hunting dogs – one on a lead, and the other with its teeth tight around the black pig’s throat.
She said her husband had been helping the council’s animal control staff try to capture the pig and almost had it a few days ago, but understandably it was a “lot more skittish” since the attack.
She said their concerns were for the pig’s welfare and the safety of locals encountering the pig while walking through the reserve with their dogs.
“We don’t know whether the pig has tusks underneath its fur or has serious injuries, but if it gets scared anything could happen,” the mother said.
A Welcome Bay resident says this mixed-breed male pig was attacked by a dog in Johnson Reserve on April 23.
The dog-friendly 14.5ha reserve has large open spaces, bush tracks, a small waterfall and wetlands, and borders residential areas.
Selwyn Ridge School is nearby but principal Craig Price said he had not heard about any sightings or encounters with the pig by school staff or students.
For safety reasons, the primary school had asked students and staff to stay out of the reserve until it was caught.
‘We intend to capture it’
Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln confirmed the council received a report on April 23 that two dogs had attacked a pig in Johnson Reserve, and it was believed this pig was associated with a large group of pigs that the council rehomed from the reserve last month.
“No one has claimed the pig and we intend to capture it and rehome it.”
“Unfortunately encounters with dogs have made the pig more wary and while we have been able to get within a couple of metres of it, we have not been able to secure it yet.
“From our observations, there are no external injuries to the pig, but I’m sure it has suffered some internal bleeding,” he said.
Tauranga City Council's animal services team leader Brent Lincoln. Photo / Alex Cairns
Lincoln urged people to avoid the pig but, if possible, leave a small amount of food for it to eat and call the council.
“We are hoping that it will relax a little so that we can trap the animal and give it a new life on someone’s lifestyle block.”
Lincoln said every owner must ensure their dog cannot cause a nuisance or danger to any person or animal and a dog can be impounded and its owner fined up to $3000 or prosecuted for this offence under the Dog Control Act.
“In addition, an owner of a dog [who] deliberately sets their dog on to another animal such as a pig in these circumstances may also face penalties under the Animal Welfare Act.”
He said pigs were not allowed to be kept within the city boundary unless on land zoned rural and like all stock, the area in which they were kept must be fully fenced.
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.
