Dog mauls cat to death then savages neighbour

Police and animal control officers remove the dog from the Torino St property in Tamaki. Picture / Richard Robinson

A cat was mauled to death and a young man bitten during a dog attack in Auckland yesterday.

The dog, believed to be a pitbull cross, had been tied up in the backyard of a Pt England property when it became enraged by a passing cat.

Neighbour Kayla Hart said she was looking out the window when she saw the cat - which belonged to people further along the street - walk past the restrained dog.

"The dog was pulling on the chain to try and get the cat. It broke free of whatever was holding it and completely destroyed the cat."

Ms Hart said the dog then jumped the fence and turned on her flatmate, 21-year-old Matt Cohen, who was washing his car in the driveway.

"We just heard this screaming because Matt was yelling and then his girlfriend was yelling. Matt was punching and kicking to get the dog away."

Ms Hart said Mr Cohen managed to throw the dog back over the fence before running inside.

He was bleeding from bite marks on his ankle, hands, thigh and arm.

St John ambulance arrived at the house and remained inside with Mr Cohen, fearing the dog would return.

Police were called to the address with Animal Control which caught the dog and impounded it.

Mr Cohen was treated at Auckland City Hospital's emergency department.

An Auckland City spokeswoman said the unregistered dog was from Otara and was being looked after by the owner's family in Pt England.

An investigation is under way to determine if the owners will face charges and if the dog will be destroyed.