Wounded while helping in dog attack on the Coast

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A man who intervened in a dog attack in Tokomaru Bay on Wednesday morning suffered moderate wounds to a hand and an arm.

The incident happened at the Waimā end of Tokomaru Bay at around 8.30am.

Another man, who was first on the scene after the incident happened, said a local man had been walking his dog on a leash when the roaming dog attacked his pet.

“A bystander who was close by went to help and tried to separate the two dogs,” he said.

“The roaming dog bit him and he suffered moderate puncture wounds to one of his hands and one of his arms.”

The offending dog ran off.

“I  called the council’s stock control section and within 15 minutes a ranger had arrived, and she took the offending dog, which was a brindle-type mongrel, perhaps a pig dog, into custody.

“The council rang me that night to tell me the owner of the roaming dog had formally surrendered the animal to the council and it was being assessed for euthanasia.”

The witness said the injured man would probably have needed medical treatment for his injuries.