Reprieve for killer dogs angers owner of slain pet

Anne Harcourt says life feels empty without her dog George. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A Bay of Plenty woman is outraged that two dogs that mauled her fox terrier to death have been allowed to live.

The dogs - a Staffordshire bull terrier-cross and a labrador-cross - went on to Anne Harcourt's Te Puke property from where they lived 200m away and attacked her pet dog George at night.

Mrs Harcourt was in Australia when she was told George, who was being looked after by house-sitters, had been killed after wandering out of the house at night.

The attack happened on April 29 at about 1am, and Mrs Harcourt came home on Wednesday last week.

"I can't believe it... I never thought this would happen," she said.

"It feels absolutely terrible and it's so empty without him."

George was attacked on the deck outside Mrs Harcourt's back door. The attack left large claw-marks in wood.

The house-sitting couple tried to intervene and managed to pull the two dogs off.

But George had puncture wounds to his body, big rips on his body, a large gash through his groin and thigh and chest damage.

Te Puke veterinarian Sue Robb said George's injuries were "extremely severe".

The dogs were seized after the attack and held for a few days, but were returned to their owners because it was their first recorded offence.

The council's team leader of animal services, Bruce Wills, said the event was tragic.

The dogs were registered, and this was their first reported offence.

Members of the Western Bay animal service team decided that both dogs would be classified as "dangerous dogs" and the owners fined $200 per animal for failing to control or confine them.

Mr Wills said the animal services staff were constantly under pressure to destroy dogs.

But they needed a court order before they could do this, and obtaining an order took a lot of time and resources.

- APN