Tauranga dog attack: Woman no longer walks pet pooch after traumatic attacks

A 76-year-old woman and her dog are so traumatised after they were attacked twice in eight months that they no longer go for walks.

Tauranga’s Lorraine Davis has spoken out about the attacks and the impact they have had on her and her dog - and called for tougher dog control rules after the latest incident.

The first attack happened last July when two pitbulls knocked her over and mauled 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 resident said of the attack.

They were attacked again about four weeks ago - forcing her to hold Ted above her head as two dogs were “climbing up me”.

Davis said the attacks were so traumatic they no longer go for daily walks.

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

Davis believes there should be dog parks exclusively for smaller breeds and a requirement for owners of certain breeds to have them on a lead and muzzled.

Lorraine Davis and her dog, Ted, have been attacked by dogs twice in eight months. Photo / Alex Cairns

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

Davis said the pitbulls attacked Ted, puncturing 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 road, stopped and a woman got out. Davis was yelling at the owner to put the pitbulls on leads and eventually the pitbulls returned to the car.

With the help of a neighbour, Davis went to the vet and Ted had surgery.

When they got home, Davis noticed one of the pitbulls had bitten her on the inside of her thigh, leaving teeth marks that did not heal for six weeks.

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

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

About four weeks ago, Davis and Ted were out for a walk when two dogs came “barreling out” from a nearby grassed area.

“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 not sure what breed the dogs were and neither she nor Ted suffered any injuries.

However, the incidents have left Ted “a nervous wreck” and they no longer go for walks.

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

She said Ted was “always” on a lead, including during both attacks.

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

She had reported both incidents to the council.

Davis would like to see dog parks exclusively for smaller breeds of dogs and a requirement for dog owners of certain breeds 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 resident Anthony Simpson’s dog Musa was attacked 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 told 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 calmed Musa down before carrying on their walk as she seemed 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 wife was a retired nurse and was monitoring Musa. He planned to report the incident to the council yesterday.

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

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

“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 offers dog training courses in Mount Maunganui and the surrounding Bay of Plenty area, said it was not a specific breed problem but genetics in breeding did have a role to play in regards to [the] temperament 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 worry, 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 could avoid some of these scenarios by teaching their dog to never run up to dogs, on-leash particularly, and choosing appropriate dogs that their dog could 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 team leader Brent Lincoln said it had reviewed the concept of providing dog parks but decided to continue with the current dog control policy in clause five 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 developing the policy, the council considered several options, including providing 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 may provide some benefits for the users, the council had adopted a more open approach.

“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 creating a dog-specific park would require that a park currently accessible to all the public was then excluded 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 issues associated with the location of such a park would create “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 costs were also associated when creating a suitable park, including fencing, shelter, water, obstacle courses, maintenance and cleaning. This would need to be offset by an increase in dog registration.

Any changes would increase the workload for animal services and impact its ability to respond to complaints unless resources increased accordingly.

Asked if the council was looking to toughen up rules for dog owners given recent public attacks, Lincoln said central Government provided the rules around dog control through the Dog Control Act 1996, which were “reasonably robust”.

“Any changes would have to come from Government.”

Lincoln said it must have sufficient evidence to identify the owner and specific dog “to a court-required standard” when taking action 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.”