KEY POINTS:
The owner of four cattle dogs that mauled a 13-year-old boy in July has avoided jail.
Stewart Witeri, 37, was sentenced to six months community detention and 100 hours of community work when he appeared in Morrinsville District Court this morning.
He was also ordered to pay $5000 in reparation to his victim.
Witeri earlier pleaded guilty to owning a dog which caused injury and failing to register his four cattle-greyhound cross dogs.
The boy was bitten more than 100 times requiring 300 stitches by the dogs at Waitoa, 27km northwest of Morrinsville.
Judge Robert Spear said he could stop short of sending Witeri to jail because of his immediate remorse and actions to help save the boy on that night.
However, he reiterated that it was the "absolute" duty of an owner to keep their dogs under control.
- NZPA
