Roaming pitbull put down after biting boy's face

Montel Milani

A 10-year-old Auckland boy was left with a hole in his face after a pitbull terrier bit him near his home in Glen Innes.

Montel Milani was running from his Rowena Cres home to his cousin's house a few houses down on Thursday when he heard some barking behind him.

A pitbull terrier, owned by others in the street, jumped on him and bit his face before running off, Montel said. It has since been put down.

"When Montel ran in he was screaming, screaming like I'd never heard before," said the boy's mother, Amanda Molia.

He needed 17 stitches for a 2.5cm-wide hole by his lip.

His father, Casey Molia, said: "The skin was practically hanging off and you could see inside his mouth. It just freaked the hell out of us.

"I wouldn't want to hear screaming like that again.

"Some other kids tease the pitbull and throw rocks at it, so I told my boy to stay away from it.

"He wasn't even on the property. The dog chased him and bit him about three houses down the street."

The attack occurred days after a 5-year-old girl was bitten in the face by a dog in Grey Lynn.

Geoff Atherfold, dog control spokesman for the Auckland City Council, said incidents such as these increased during the school holidays and warmer weather.

He said the owners had not registered the pitbull, and the property was not fenced.

Mrs Molia said the pitbull's owners were nice people.

"It's just a shame the dog got loose."

Under the Dog Control Amendment Act 2003, all pitbulls are classed as menacing. They must be neutered, and muzzled in public.