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A boy who suffered a savage mauling by four pig-hunting dogs while cycling home in the Waikato is traumatised but recovering in hospital.
And a woman who risked her own life to save him is being praised as a hero by police.
The 13-year-old boy was passing through Waitoa, near Te Aroha, when the pitbull-greyhound crosses attacked him about 5pm on Monday.
The dogs knocked the boy off his bike and tore his clothes off.
The frenzied attack lasted several minutes and left the boy with more than 100 wounds - many bone-deep - in his arms, legs and buttocks.
Sergeant Rod Smart of Morrinsville police said the dogs' owner was unable to free the helpless boy, who put his arms up to keep them at bay.
The owner desperately waved down a passing local motorist, Jenny Robinson. With the aid of two other women, she managed to get the boy into her car's front seat.
Ms Robinson said she was initially hesitant to intervene "but then when I saw the boy I just jumped out and my main concern was just the boy".
As she pulled him into her vehicle the dogs continued snapping at him. "I was absolutely terrified, but that's the thing at the time, you just do it".
The boy's mother, who did not want to be named, praised the three women, who covered her son in a towel and a blanket, called an ambulance and took him home.
"I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't saved him," she said. "In the scheme of things it could have been much, much worse."
At Waikato Hospital he underwent intensive surgery for nearly six hours.
Mr Smart said Ms Robinson was "quite obviously a hero".
"But I don't think she realises how brave or even daft her actions were. She worked on gut instinct to save this boy and the officers involved were very impressed by what she did."
The dogs were destroyed, and police are investigating whether charges will be laid against the owner.
Dr Fiona Neary of Waikato Hospital described the boy's injuries as "horrific" but said he was lucky.
"It's extremely fortunate he didn't sustain significant injuries in terms of muscles and tendons and things like that. I have certainly never seen so many dog bites."
- additional reporting: AP
