By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE
Jarrod Dargaville braced himself yesterday to confront one of the dogs that savaged him in a park near his home last July.
The Rotorua 9-year-old, who needed 400 stitches after the attack, went with his mother, Krystyna, to the city pound to look at the captured German shepherd, which will be put down by a vet today.
"I thought it would be a good idea for him to face the dog before they kill it, and he agreed," Jarrod's mother said.
"He wasn't afraid, but he was very cautious and very quiet. He is glad the dog is being put down."
Krystyna described the animal as sinister. "He had an evil look, very seedy and crafty."
The family have a pet German shepherd of their own and 18-month-old Zac is now the only dog Jarrod trusts.
A bull mastiff which joined in the savage mauling was shot on the day of the attack.
Rotorua authorities were unable to track down the German shepherd at the time, although they believed they knew where it lived.
But this week a police patrol saw the dog running loose near the Sunset Junior High School.
It was later found confined in a cage on a property where police had made several fruitless visits.
Officers had been told the German shepherd had gone to another home out of town before the attack on Jarrod.
The Rotorua District Council's animal control supervisor, Peter Richardson, said the dog was well bred and had not shown any aggression at the pound.
"I can handle him as good as gold. He is no more terrifying than any other dog.
"We will never know what happened there that day [when Jarrod was set upon]."
Police are considering charging the dog's owner.
Jarrod, who underwent hours of micro-surgery for extensive wounds to his upper legs, buttocks, groin and arms, may need more plastic surgery.
His mother said he was a "different boy" now. He was prone to outbursts of anger and suffered low self-esteem.
He would not go swimming any more because of the unsightly marks on his body.
Savaged boy faces attacker
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