Bite victim wants dogs leashed

The victim went to Whangarei Hospital where a puncture wound and a larger tear were cleaned and plastered. Photo / Thinkstock

A Whangarei woman bitten by a free roaming dog while walking near a popular sports park wants owners to keep their pets on leashes or keep them contained.

Hayley Downes was with a friend on Western Hills Dr, near the St John base, about 7.30pm on Tuesday when a large dog came running across Kensington Park and bit her on the arm.

The 34-year-old mother-of-one said the dog - she believed was a Rottweiler - reared up and was just as tall as her.

"It bit me on the back of my right arm, between the shoulder and elbow, on the fleshy part and then took off," Mrs Downes recalled.

At first she thought the teeth had just pierced the arm of her sweatshirt but after her friend took a closer look, they realised the injury needed medical attention.

Ms Downes went to Whangarei Hospital where a puncture wound and a larger tear were cleaned and plastered.

"They don't like to stitch dog bites because of the infection potential," she said, adding the result could have been far worse if a child had been attacked.

"Owners need to make sure they have their dogs under control and on a leash," she said.

Whangarei District Council spokeswoman Ann Midson said an animal control officer would be interviewing the woman about the incident.