Dog owners to appeal jail sentence

4.00pm

The owners of the dog which ripped off half the face of a seven-year-old Auckland girl in January will be appealing a jail sentence handed down at the Auckland District Court today.

Thomas Henry Owen, 55, and Brian Clarke Hill, 44, were each sentenced two months' imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of $2000.

They had earlier pleaded guilty to a joint charge under the Dog Control Act of owning a dog, Joey, that caused serious injury to Carolina Anderson.

Carolina faces months of surgery after the dog ripped off her face in an attack at the Cox's Bay Reserve in the Auckland suburb of Westmere on January 31.

Joey and another dog owned by the two defendants were later destroyed.

Their lawyer says the two will be appealing the sentence.

Caroline's father John Anderson has started a campaign to change dog control laws.