Police continue appeal to dog owner to come forward

Police today continued to appeal to the owner of a dog that attacked a seven-old-girl in Auckland on Friday night to come forward.

The girl, Carolina Anderson, is expected to undergo further surgery today after being mauled at a reserve while with her parents and friends.

The dog is described as a cross breed, light brown with short hair and black, solid head, like a rottweiler. It has a powerful body, about the size of a bull mastiff.

Police said Carolina suffered horrific injuries, including having her nose ripped off and one of her eyes seriously damaged, during the attack at Cox's Bay Reserve in Westmere.

Neither the dog nor its owner has been located.

Sergeant Nicole Topfer said police had received hundreds of calls from members of the public.

"We've had a tremendous response, but obviously we are still appealing to the individual to present themselves," she said.

"We've had a lot of information and we are following up on different avenues of inquiries. But it would be so much easier if the person did just front and tells us who they were."

Ms Topfer said Carolina was "doing well, considering what she has been through".

The spate of recent dog attacks around New Zealand has led to the Government announcing an urgent review of the Dog Control Act.

Yesterday, four-year-old Christchurch girl Michaela Haar had part of her nose bitten off, while a Porirua man was taken to Hutt Hospital with serious injuries to his arms and legs.

On Monday, dog control officer Trevor Sinclair was attack by two dogs at a Dargaville address and received severe arm and leg injuries.

Local Government Minister Chris Carter said it was not clear how such cases could be prevented.

However, he had written to all mayors seeking their help in identifying possible changes to the Act and asking them reply by the end of the month.

Mr Carter also planned to write to organisations such as the Veterinarians' Association and the Kennel Club to get their views.

He would also support having Labour MP Steve Chadwick's member's bill being made a Government bill so it could be heard urgently.

The bill seeks to give dog control officers the power to seize dogs on private property.

Local Government New Zealand chief executive Peter Winder believed the overall framework of the legislation was sound, but minor changes were needed.

At present, dog control officers were unable to intervene until someone had been bitten.

"It really relates to whether you have to wait until a dog has sunk its fangs into someone to be able to intervene," Mr Winder said.

"What dog control offices would really appreciate is clarity as to ability to intervene when dogs are clearly displaying very aggressive behaviour and there's reasonable cause to believe they will cause harm.

SPCA Auckland director Bob Kerridge proposed that owners, as well as their dogs, should have to be licensed.

"I have to say, and it sounds hackneyed, it's not the dog, it's the owner," he said.

"Few dogs are born dangerous. Many dogs are made dangerous and they are made dangerous by dangerous owners."

- NZPA