Pitbull attack puts boy in hospital

The animal responsible for attacking a boy in Henderson is led to a dog control vehicle before being put down last night. Photo / Brett Phibbs

An 8-year-old boy suffered a "nasty gash" to his face when he was attacked by a dog yesterday afternoon.

The boy, who was rushed to Middlemore Hospital by ambulance, was believed to have been visiting an address in Hindmarsh St, Henderson, when he was bitten on the side of his face by a pitbull terrier.

Detective Sergeant Eugene Pickett said the boy was known to the family who owned the house, although his relationship to them was unknown.

Police, called to the scene by responding paramedics, arrived to find some tension among those at the scene.

"Everybody was just so upset and the owner of the dog was shocked ... It was quite a nasty gash to the [boy's] face," Mr Pickett said.

A man, who is believed to be the dog's owner, was seen crouching in the garage and patting the dog as animal control officers entered the property to take it away.

He then walked the dog to the road and surrendered it to the officers.

The dog was taken away and destroyed last night.

A Waitakere City Council spokeswoman said the dog had been registered up until June 30 but that had lapsed and not been renewed at the time of the attack.

One local resident the Herald spoke to said there had been some concern about the dog, with at least one neighbour not wanting to walk on the side of the road the house was on because of it.

But despite that concern the woman was not aware of any other problems with the dog - one of two which lived at the address, behind a fence with a sign saying "beware of the dog".

Mr Pickett said the attack seemed to have occurred in "unfortunate circumstances".

Police were not investigating further at this stage.

A St John spokeswoman said the boy's wounds were not considered to be too serious.