“We managed to get him off them and raced him to the after-hours vet, but he passed away as soon as we got there. He just had too many injuries.”
Sarah had become used to seeing roaming dogs in her neighbourhood, but when she saw security footage of the attack, she was shocked by the way the dogs stalked her cat, which was elderly and kept to himself.
“He was 14 and he was just outside in our front yard doing his thing.
“They [the dogs] came onto the property quite clearly, hunting, no barking. You can see them in the camera footage cornering him, chasing him, and then all attacking him.”
Sarah is one of a growing number of Auckland pet owners affected by dog attacks.
In the July 2020-June 2021 local government financial year animal management received 900 callouts for roaming dogs attacking other animals.
The following year there were 1050 and in the 2022-23 year there were 1339.
Most of the attacks are on cats, but there are also callouts for attacks on cattle, chickens, horses, rabbits and sheep.
Megan Alderson, from The Strand Vet, said dogs could inflict significant injuries.
“You’ll have puncture wounds on the outside, but crushed organs, lung, liver, kidneys on the inside. So they’re very serious injuries.
She said even the attacked animal escaped with “just a puncture wound”, that could form an abscess.
If the animal survives it’s often a long and painful journey back to full health, and that can be expensive.
“They actually often times need 24/7 care for a number of days. Specialists are usually involved; it’s not just their regular veterinarian or their GP if it’s outside of our realm of expertise.
Once evidence is gathered, the dog’s owners can be given an infringement notice or disqualified from owning dogs. If the council decides to prosecute, the dog may be euthanised.
Faulkner said dog owners need to be more responsible.
“I think the onus needs to be placed on dog owners. Having a dog is a fantastic experience but it has a certain level of responsibility. People need to make sure that they get their dog trained and they get the right type of dog for them and that their property is secure.