Ron Brewer: ''I won't be able to play the piano again.'' Photo / John Stone
Ron Brewer: ''I won't be able to play the piano again.'' Photo / John Stone
Dog owners are being told to keep their dogs under control as the number of attacks in Whangārei rises.
The warning comes from animal control authorities - and from an Onerahi man whose finger was bitten off when he tried to release a bull terrier's jaws from his pet corgi's throat.
Although the man was not attacked, but injured as he intervened, Whangārei District Council figures show dog attacks on people have been increasing.
Since January this year 219 dog attacks have been reported in Whangārei, compared with 154 over the same period last year. All up last year there were 226 reported dog attacks.
Reiner Mussle, health and bylaws manager, said there were no specific reasons for the rise, but it could be related to an increased number in dogs.
In the 2017/18 financial year, 1600 more dogs were registered in the district than the previous year.
Dog-control callouts also increased during the same period by 1400.
''Thus it seems we have not only more dogs in our district, but also more reported issues and perhaps the public is more forthcoming in reporting issues and concerns,'' Mussle said.
''In addition, as total dog numbers increase, so will dog attacks, unfortunately.''
Part of the council's dog control practice in the past year has included staff going door to door and visiting some neighbourhoods to update registration and records. The campaign included handing out information about responsible dog ownership.
A similar crackdown on wandering and unregistered dogs is about to start in the Far North.
Far North District Council animal management officers will visit homes on randomly selected streets.
Owners will also be given information about their obligation to keep dogs under control at all times, compliance manager Darren Edwards said.
"We receive numerous complaints about roaming dogs in some areas and whenever possible we impound those animals.
''However, to effectively tackle the problem we need to ensure our registration database is up to date. We can then better identify and locate nuisance dogs when we receive complaints from residents."
Pastor Ron Brewer lost his finger in a dog attack and wants to warn people of the risks of breaking up a dog fight. Photo / John Stone
Onerahi pastor Ron Brewer's first thought when he saw his finger lying on the ground after the bull terrier set upon his corgi was: "I won't be able to play the piano again."
Brewer had just finished an Onerahi Christian Community Church council meeting last Thursday when he and wife Ann decided to take the corgi, called Harry, and their daughter's dog for a walk along the Onerahi Domain.
They saw a bull terrier walking around so Brewer asked the owner if their dog would be okay with his dogs.
"We had our dogs on a lead and as soon as we got out of the car and started to walk down, this dog ... went straight for Harry and got him around the throat.
"The owners had no control at all. They were decent people, they were very, very sad and sorry for what had happened.
''But I knew if I didn't do something quickly [the dog] would kill Harry."
Brewer used his hands to pry open the dog's jaw to free Harry.
''It had my finger in its jaw, I pulled it and I thought it would shred it, but I was so shocked to see a stump there where he had ripped the whole thing off.''
Surgeons were unable to reattach the finger because of tendon damage.
"I love my dog and that's all I could do was to pry [the jaws] open. I think the Lord helped me," Brewer said.
