A Methven couple have pleaded guilty to a raft of dog control charges after their dogs escaped and attacked five people.
Sharon van Duinen, 39, and Graham Leslie van Duinen, 51, appeared before Judge Chris Somerville in Ashburton District Court yesterday. Both pleaded guilty to five charges related to the February 8 attacks, laid under the Dog Control Act.
The dogs were already on the Ashburton District Council watch list following an earlier attack on a person, who entered the property despite a warning sign. As a result fencing was upgraded and additional signs, warning of menacing dogs, were posted.
On February 8, the couple's two large dogs escaped the property and attacked five people.
Yesterday's charges referred to a bull mastiff cross, which first attacked siblings, aged eight and 12, walking home from the nearby community swimming pool about 5.30pm. The children were knocked down and mauled before three local teenagers, who were driving past, came to their rescue. As they got the children to safety in the car, one of the rescuers was bitten on the back of the leg.