Dogs who killed woman's Yorkshire terrier to be destroyed

Pepper was viciously torn apart.

Two dogs who mauled an elderly woman's Yorkshire terrier to death in front of her will be destroyed after the vicious attack.

The Auckland District Court heard that in late October the 89-year-old woman was walking her dog Pepper down her driveway in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, when she was confronted by two bull terriers.

The woman picked Pepper up but it was torn out from her grasp by the dogs, who knocked the woman to the ground.

One of them bit her on the foot, as they tore Pepper apart.

As well as the bite, the woman suffered bumps and bruises in the attack. It ended after the bull terriers' owner, Elijah Button, arrived to take them away.

In court today Button was found guilty of two charges of owning a dog that attacked a human and two of owning a dog that attacked another animal, in a prosecution brought by the Auckland Council.

Judge Phil Gittos fined Button $1600 in total and ordered him to pay $2430 to cover costs and $1000 emotional harm reparation to the woman.

The judge also ordered the destruction of Button's two dogs.

Button wasn't present in court today but he and his partner previously told the Herald on Sunday they were devastated their dogs had to be destroyed, but accepted it was necessary.

The 89-year-old told the paper she was distraught after the attack and was taking anti-anxiety medication.