Dog owner jailed after pet mangles woman's ear

by JULIET ROWAN

The owner of a pit bull cross that attacked a 66-year-old woman and bit off part of her ear has been sentenced to four months in prison.

The victim spent three days in hospital following the attack in Otara at the end of last year. Surgeons were unable to re-attach the severed portion of her ear.

The female owner of the dog has been granted leave to apply for home detention.

She is believed to be the first person charged under Section 58 of the Dog Control Act after tougher penalties for dog owners were introduced on December 1 last year.

Manukau City Council has also introduced tougher bylaws to deal with uncontrolled and unregistered dogs. These came into effect yesterday.

Those who breach the bylaws face fines of up to $300. Unregistered animals can be seized immediately.

Unregistered dogs make up an estimated 23 per cent of the dog population in Manukau. They account for 90 per cent of complaints about roaming dogs and 46 per cent of dog attacks.

Last year, the council received more than 5000 complaints about roaming dogs and 370 reports of dog attacks on people.