Dogs terrorise residents and kill cat

Upu Maori cries after arriving home to find her dogs Dicki and Diesel had escaped and attacked an elderly lady and mauled a cat to death. Picture / Richard Robinson

Two dogs attacked an elderly woman on her way to the dairy after attacking six other people and killing a cat in an Auckland suburb.

Residents had already called for help after the earlier attacks within the space of 30 minutes.

The staffordshire terrier-cross and rottweiler-cross had frequently terrorised other pedestrians in the quiet Owairaka street.

Yesterday, as the elderly woman nursed bruising and serious injuries to her arms and legs, the dogs' owner sobbed at the anguish caused by her pets.

Upu Maori said she left her Hendon Ave home on Tuesday morning with Dicki and Diesel locked behind a gate at the rear of her property.

When she arrived home around midday, she found them locked in the back of an animal control van.

The dogs had only succumbed to capture after being pepper sprayed by police officers and after leaving the elderly woman to fatally maul their owner's cat.

Mrs Maori said she had no idea how her dogs got free but she was distraught by the events that followed, especially the injuries inflicted on the elderly woman and to her cat.

"All day I just sat down and cried. I was upset for the lady.

"I know my words are not enough to say sorry but ... forgive my family, forgive me and forgive my animals."

Neighbours said they were not surprised by the attack, which followed ongoing problems with the aggressive dogs.

One woman, who rushed to help the elderly woman after hearing her screaming during the attack, said the dogs had bitten her brother's friend about a year ago.

On Tuesday, the dogs lunged at her and a nephew as they got out of their car.

She called animal control. In the half hour they took to arrive, four other people, including a woman with a baby and a jogger on the other side of the road were lunged at.

Two of them were bitten on the leg.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said the dogs should not have been on the streets, especially given their history.

Council compliance monitoring team leader Geoff Atherfold said the owners had received a number of infringement notices for failing to control the dogs, one of which had already been classified as menacing.

Mr Atherfold said attacks like Tuesday's were entirely preventable and highlighted the need for owners to keep their dogs under control at all times.

The dogs have been impounded pending the outcome of an investigation.

It is not yet known if charges will be laid against the owners.

Dogs' victims:

Woman and her nephew lunged at while getting out of car.

Man lunged at while jogging on other side of the road.

Man bitten on the leg.

Woman with baby in stroller lunged at.

Woman bitten on leg.

Elderly woman, knocked to ground and mauled on arm and leg.

Tom, the tabby cat (also owned by owner of the dogs), mauled to death.