Dog-attack girl making good recovery

A 5-year-old girl who underwent 10 hours of surgery after being mauled by two dogs was yesterday reported to be making good progress.

The girl, who was attacked in the Bay of Plenty at the weekend, suffering what were described as potentially life-threatening injuries, could be home by next week, a Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said.

The incident at Taneatua, 13km south of Whakatane, was one of two on Sunday in which a young child was the victim of a serious dog attack - the other involved a 3-year-old Hawkes Bay girl, who also needed surgery - and reignited calls for tougher dog control laws.

The 5-year-old's parents, named only as Shaun and Helen, said yesterday that they had been overwhelmed by public response to their daughter's plight.

They said the cards, letters, gifts and texts they had received had boosted their spirits through a horrific time.

"We thank the media and the public for their kind wishes and support," they said in a statement. "It has certainly helped us deal with what happened to our daughter."

Among those they made special mention of were the family in a van the father flagged down, who took him and his daughter to Whakatane Hospital, and Waikato Hospital surgeon Adam Greenbaum and his team, who, they said, restored their daughter to them when they were in despair.

The couple have declined media requests for interviews, saying they want to concentrate on caring for their daughter through her rehabilitation.

The attack happened as the girl and her father were visiting a house. The owner let out the dogs, two pitbull-bulldog crossbreeds, to meet them and the animals attacked the girl, causing multiple injuries to her face, neck, arms and legs.

The dogs were later destroyed.