Ban after dog attacked woman three times

A woman has been banned from owning dogs after her pet attacked a friend.

A Kaikohe woman has been banned from owning dogs for five years after her unregistered pitbull-cross attacked a friend three times.

Maxine Tipene, 43, was convicted in the Kaikohe District Court last week following the incident in October last year.

As well as barring her from owning a dog for five years, the judge ordered her to pay the Far North District Council more than $1500 in costs. He also ordered the dog, which had been held in a pound since the attack, be destroyed.

Council field compliance manager Barry Webb said the conviction was a reminder to dog owners to take all reasonable steps to make sure their dogs did not injure people. The attack occurred when a friend was visiting the woman at her home. When the woman left the room, her dog - a three-year-old pit bull terrier-cross - attacked her friend.

The dog stopped when the woman returned to the room but then attacked again. The woman tried to pull the dog off but it escaped her clutches and attacked her friend for a third time. The victim suffered wounds requiring medical treatment to her upper thigh, upper arm and ankle. Three stitches were needed to close the wound on her arm.

Mr Webb said dogs could provide pleasure and companionship but owners needed to make sure they took care of their animals and gave them food, exercise and shelter. They also had to ensure their pets did not present a danger to anyone.

"In this instance, the dog knew the victim as she had previously visited the property a number of times without incident," he said.

Meanwhile, the council is investigating a dog attack on a police officer at Oromahoe Rd in the Bay of Islands. Police responding to reports of raised voices and what sounded like a gun being fired about noon on Sunday arrested a 50-year-old man and seized a .22 rifle. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of cannabis seed and owning a dog that attacked a person. He is due in the Kaikohe District Court on Friday.

During the operation a senior police officer was bitten by one of the man's two dogs. He required four stitches to his leg.

For information about dog owners' responsibilities go to www.animalcontrol.org.nz/Dogs-Home.html. Any dog aged 3 months or older must be registered.