Viv Jones thought she had been attacked by a man when she was knocked down while walking along Mount Maunganui beach.
So she was perplexed when she saw the offender was a large dog.
Two months later, Viv is still nursing broken bones and trauma from the incident, which has fuelled calls from two respected New Zealand sportsmen for changes to local dog control by-laws.
Former All Whites coach John Adshead, QSM, who led the New Zealand football team to its first FIFA World Cup finals in 1982, appealed to Tauranga City Council commissioners at a public forum on Monday.
The Mount Maunganui resident said the existing by-laws had not worked for "many years".
"Dogs run wild into the dunes and all over the beach. They hit people, they hurt people."
He said he was not suggesting banning dogs from beaches.
"All I'm asking is that from 5pm to 9am the next morning, run your dogs on the beach and run them wild but there needs to be a time during the day to allow elderly people to walk in peace and quiet and for children to play and not be traumatised by dogs."
At other times, dogs would need to be on leads, he said.
Adshead referred to Viv's incident and that she was still receiving physiotherapy months after being knocked down by an uncontrolled dog.
Adshead said he'd like to see the by-law run from Moturiki (Leisure) Island down to Pāpāmoa East. Dogs are already banned on the beach between Moturiki and Mauao.
After the meeting, he told the Bay of Plenty Times that dogs had twice run into his shins at the beach.
"Every day there are dogs running around beyond 200 yards of their owners. They aren't on a lead, they aren't voice-controlled. They are dangerous."
Adshead's concerns were shared by Viv and her husband, former international football coach and New Zealand football manager Allan Jones.
Viv founded charitable trust Macular Degeneration New Zealand and was named a Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Local Hero in 2018.
Of the beach incident, she told the Bay of Plenty Times she was "absolutely bombarded from behind, which flew me forward in the air and down onto the solid sand".
The landing impact fractured her pelvis and badly broke her left wrist.
"I was in great pain. I said 'what happened?' and this big dog was sitting where I'd been."
A passing runner called an ambulance and a woman believed to be the dog's owner came over to apologise, saying 'what a silly dog' and asking if she could help.
Allan Jones told her to take her dog and go, which she did.
A couple of off-duty paramedics on the beach came to help but the pain was so "excruciating", Viv could not be carried to the ambulance. Members of the Mount Maunganui Surf Club had to come and help.
At Tauranga Hospital, her injuries were such that her clothes and wedding and engagement rings of 57 years had to be cut off before she was x-rayed.
Last week, the Joneses returned to the beach for the first time since the incident, and the dog that hit her came running up again. While talking to a friend on the narrow beach access "the dog that hit me came running around to play with her dog".
"Honestly, I've never been afraid of dogs but I'm so wary of them now," Viv said.
"Everybody should feel safe on the beach. That, to me, is the crux of it."
The couple said they have since heard countless stories of incidents involving uncontrolled dogs on beaches.
Allan said the council "has to recognise this is a problem".
"This is more than just a dog running wild but animals running dangerously in areas where there are lots of vulnerable people - whether they are old or young," he said.
"We are not anti-dogs. There are lots of dogs around here that we know and we pat when we're chatting with their owners.
"This dog was out of control. There was no call for it."
He said some dog owners needed reminding that their pets needed to be trained.
"We really are talking to the dog owners of Mount Maunganui."
Animal services team leader Brent Lincoln told the Bay of Plenty Times the Dog Management Bylaw 2018 was created after community consultation and ' target='_blank'>leash control on the beach was considered.
Infringements for failing to control dogs in a public place have since risen; from 85 in 2018/19 to 104 in 2019/20 and 128 in 2020/21. It's not known how many related to beach incidents.
Lincoln said the council was aware of the issue of uncontrolled dogs on beaches.
"One of the most significant issues we have on the beach is dog owners who allow their dog to run up to a stranger or another dog, believing their dog is fine. It shouldn't be an issue.
"Many people don't want a strange dog running up to them. Owners should put their dogs on leashes as they approach other people and animals and ask permission before allowing their dog to meet and greet either other people or animals."
Those who don't could be fined $3,000.
Lincoln said the team had upgraded its 4WD vehicle to "enhance beach patrols", with the main goal of educating dog owners about keeping their pooches under control.
As of November, there were almost 15,000 dogs registered with Tauranga City Council.
Dogs on beaches
Beaches in Tauranga where you are not allowed to take your dog:
- Mount Maunganui Main Beach from Mauao to Moturiki (Leisure Island)
- Moturiki (Leisure Island) to rocky outcrop (Shark Alley) from August 1 to January 31
- Pilot Bay from Mauao to Salisbury Avenue
- Beach in front of Omanu Surf Club, between beach access markers 0003 and 0004 (dogs on leash can transit through)
- Beach in front of Pāpāmoa Domain (exception: dogs on a leash can transit through)
*Beach means any land on or adjacent to the seacoast and includes any walkway, boardwalk, the foreshore and dunes.
