KEY POINTS:
The only son of a woman killed by dogs has added his voice to calls for the owner - his uncle - not to be charged.
"He's forgiven," Jason Ohlson said yesterday.
"That's what my Mum would want, and me. There's a time to forgive."
The 15-year-old spoke to the Herald before the funeral for his mother, Virginia, who was mauled to death by two dogs in Murupara on Saturday.
Police believe the unregistered dogs to be a pitbull and a staffordshire cross, but council records list them as bull mastiff crosses.
Jason said he had spoken to the owner, Shane, and told him he was still his uncle. About 500 mourners gathered to pay their respects to Ms Ohlson, 56, at Murumurunga Marae, east of Murupara.
Jason led a haka to farewell the former ambulance officer as her casket was taken from the marae for burial.
A St John ambulance with lights flashing was first in the cortege to the burial site, while two saxophonists, including her eldest brother, Tipene Ohlson, played Unchained Melody as the vehicles departed.
Messages of forgiveness were preached during the service with Mr Ohlson telling the crowd in front of the meeting house, "We hold no grudges."
On Monday, the 64-year-old said he did not want charges laid against the dog's owner because the owner was his nephew.
He and another of Ms Ohlson's 12 siblings, Victor, said the whole family was now in agreement on the matter.
Victor had earlier said he wanted the owner to take responsibility, but yesterday told the Herald: "I don't blame the dogs. It's the owners, but the owners . . . there's always that great word - love. Love conquers everything. We've forgiven him."
Police are considering charging the owner with manslaughter.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said pleas from the family not to prosecute would have no influence on what charge was laid.
"Someone's died. Someone's got to be accountable," he said.
Police would likely meet with the family to hear their views, but those views were probably more valuable in a court setting, he said.
The dogs' owner visited the family at Ms Ohlson's house on Sunday night.
Ms Ohlson's death sparked calls from Prime Minister Helen Clark for a review of dangerous dog laws. She said further blacklisting of breeds should be considered.
However, Whakatane District Council yesterday confirmed that the dogs were unregistered at the time of the attack.
Chief executive Diane Turner said they were registered in 2005-06, but not this year (2006-07), resulting in the owner being issued with an infringement notice in November.
During a property check, the owner said one of the dogs was lost.
The person listed as the registered owner in 2005-06 was not the same person now claiming to be the owner, but is understood to be the man's partner.
The couple moved to the partially fenced property from where the dogs rushed at Ms Ohlson after the infringement notice was issued, but they did not inform the council.
Mr Loper said police were aware the current owner and previous registered owner were different people.
This week, the Herald has seen few dogs roaming the streets of Murupara, in stark contrast to the numbers visible there on the weekend.
Council figures show almost one in seven dogs in Murupara is unregistered, with 102 dogs impounded there since July 1 and 30 dog complaints received.
