Tauranga dog attack: Woman no longer strolls family pet pooch after terrible attacks

A 76-year-old female and her dog are so traumatised after they were assaulted two times in 8 months that they no longer opt for strolls.

Tauranga’s Lorraine Davis has actually spoken up about the attacks and the effect they have actually had on her and her dog – and required harder dog control guidelines after the latest event.

The very first attack took place last July when 2 pitbulls knocked her over and whipped her 11-year-old shih tzu and bichon frise mix, Ted.

“I was in absolute shock – it was the most horrific thing I’ve ever experienced,” the Brookfield homeowner said of the attack.

They were assaulted once again about 4 weeks ago – requiring her to hold Ted above her head as 2 dogs were “climbing up me”.

Davis said the attacks were so terrible they no longer opt for everyday strolls.

“It was horrible, I never want to go through it again. That’s why we stay home,” she informed the Bay of Plenty Times.

Davis thinks there need to be dog parks specifically for smaller sized types and a requirement for owners of particular types to have actually them on a lead and muzzled.

In July, Davis was walking Ted near her home when the 2 pitbulls ran over and “knocked me right off my feet”.

Davis said the pitbulls assaulted Ted, piercing his neck.

“He was laying half under me and I thought, he’s dead,’’ she said.

“And then all of a sudden he let out a piercing scream.”

Davis said a car drove down the roadway, stopped and a lady went out. Davis was chewing out the owner to put the pitbulls on leads and ultimately the pitbulls went back to the car.

With the help of a neighbour, Davis went to the veterinarian and Ted had surgical treatment.

When they got home, Davis discovered among the pitbulls had actually bitten her on the within her thigh, leaving teeth marks that did not recover for 6 weeks.

Davis said they did not go walking for “quite a while” after the event.

“We just got back into the swing of things and then these two big mongrels attacked us.”

About 4 weeks back, Davis and Ted were out for a walk when 2 dogs came “barreling out” from a close-by grassed location.

“I’m backed up into the neighbour’s garage door with him [Ted] over my head, saying get away… to these dogs. And he [the owner] just stood there.

“They were climbing up me – one up the back, one up the front – to get to him [Ted].”

Davis was unsure what breed the dogs were and neither she nor Ted suffered any injuries.

However, the events have actually left Ted “a nervous wreck” and they no longer opt for strolls.

“[We] tried – got down to the end of the road, he wouldn’t go any further.”

She said Ted was “always” on a lead, consisting of throughout both attacks.

“I think the best thing to do is to just stay home… It’s not worth risking it again.”

She had actually reported both events to the council.

Davis wish to see dog parks specifically for smaller sized types of dogs and a requirement for dog owners of particular types to have them on a lead and muzzled.

“So they can run and play together and have their exercise without being put in danger out on the road.”

Te Puke homeowner Anthony Simpson’s dog Musa was assaulted when they were out walking on Sunday on the Te Puke cricket pitch.

He said Musa was on her lead when an English bull terrier came at them and “latched” onto Musa’s neck.

Simpson said the dog’s handler apologised and informed Simpson it was not his dog.

“I’m thinking: ‘Well, if he’s not your dog, why the hell are you letting it off the lead’.”

Simpson said he then relaxed Musa down prior to continuing their walk as she appeared fine.

“But at home, she was very subdued. She went into our bedroom and put herself down by my side of the bed and just didn’t move at all.

“She’s not the dog that she was when she went out for a walk.”

Simpson said his other half was a retired nurse and was keeping an eye on Musa. He prepared to report the event to the council the other day.

Earlier this month, Bellevue homeowner Taryn informed the Bay of Plenty Times her dog Marley was “savaged” in a relentless dog attack at a public park.

Yesterday, Taryn said Marley had “turned a corner” and she was “so relieved” at how rapidly he had actually recovered.

“We took him back to the park and he was running around… his stitches have healed… he’s amazing.”

Kat Stephenson, owner of Dogs Are Us which uses dog training courses in Mount Maunganui and the surrounding Bay of Plenty location, said it was not a particular breed issue however genes in breeding did have a function to play in concerns to [the] personality of any breed of dog.

“It can also stem from a lack of exposure, environmental stimuli, appropriate socialisation, and a lack of basic training. There are several reasons why we are seeing an increase in these issues.

“A dog doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. They need to be taught what is expected and or required of them. That is our responsibility as dog owners.”

She said, ‘don’t concern, my dog’s friendly’ is “one of the worst sentences anyone can say when it comes to a dog they aren’t familiar with”.

She said dog owners might prevent a few of these circumstances by teaching their dog to never ever add to dogs, on-leash especially, and picking suitable dogs that their dog might engage with.

“They don’t have to greet every dog they come across, but again, they have to be taught and that’s on the owners to train their dogs.”

Tauranga City Council animal services group leader Brent Lincoln said it had actually evaluated the idea of offering dog parks however chose to continue with the existing dog control policy in provision 5 of the Dog Management Policy 2018.

“Dogs need the ability to exercise unrestrained and socialise with other dogs. Therefore, [the] council does not restrict dogs to dog exercise areas and considers it appropriate that dogs are able to be exercised unleashed in public places so long as when circumstances require, the dog can be leashed.”

When establishing the policy, the council thought about a number of choices, consisting of offering a dog-specific park or parks.

“We recognised that most dog owners are very responsible, so the interaction between dogs and the public is generally positive.”

While such a park might offer some advantages for the users, the council had actually embraced a more open technique.

“This provides all dog owners with choice, apart from a few exclusions. People can exercise their dogs at a location suitable to their needs and those of their dog. They are not limited to when and where they can take their dog for exercise.”

Lincoln said developing a dog-specific park would need that a park presently available to all the general public was then omitted from them.

“This could lead to a public expectation that dogs should be excluded from other parks, which could disadvantage people without personal transport who may be living near these parks.”

The problems connected with the area of such a park would produce “considerable debate”.

“Those in favour of the concept will want the park near their home, and those opposed not wanting the noise associated with a concentration of excited barking dogs located next to their residence. Concentrating many dogs at one location can also create issues as some owners can’t or won’t control their dogs off the lead, creating an increased potential of dogs fighting.”

Additional expenses were likewise associated when developing an ideal park, consisting of fencing, shelter, water, barrier courses, upkeep and cleansing. This would require to be balanced out by a boost in dog registration.

Any modifications would increase the work for animal services and effect its capability to react to grievances unless resources increased appropriately.

Asked if the council was aiming to condition guidelines for dog owners offered recent public attacks, Lincoln said main Government offered the guidelines around dog control through the Dog Control Act 1996, which were “reasonably robust”.

“Any changes would have to come from Government.”

Lincoln said it should have adequate proof to recognize the owner and particular dog “to a court-required standard” when doing something about it about an attack.

“Often, the attacking dog is unknown, or the owner cannot be located.

“Where this is known, [the] council can take various actions, from issuing a warning to classifying the dog as menacing or dangerous, issuing an infringement or prosecuting. Actions largely depend on the owner’s history and the incident’s seriousness.”