Pitbull pack on the prowl

Worried residents of an isolated community are carrying rifles to hunt and kill a marauding pack of wild pitbulls.

A spate of dog attacks has been reported at Mahuta Gap, 12km southwest of Dargaville.

Antje De Boer said her neighbours' teenage daughter had been chased by the pack and last Sunday a pet Rottweiler had been badly mauled.

The problem has become so bad that locals are hunting the dogs, and armed Environment Northland dog control teams are patrolling the area daily.

Environment Northland manager Keith Thompson said a group of dumped pets had probably formed a pack and gone feral.

"Dogs are like teenage boys: Stick a few together, and they'll find a way to get into trouble."

Thompson said official efforts to control the problem had been stymied by locals taking matters into their own hands and not reporting earlier attacks to his office. He was only told of the problem last week.

Resident Ryan Wills said the area was popular with visiting pony clubs and local families were worried. "Children are in danger," he said.

He said locals had encouraged hunters to target the dogs.

"They usually shoot rabbits, goats, possums and other vermin and now they're going after dogs. We've bagged seven of them in the last two months, but we think there's three more left."