A 12-year-old who suffered severe facial injuries after a dog bit his face has to undergo more surgery.
The boy was packing up from a camping trip with family near Turangi on Wednesday afternoon when a spooked dog leapt up and bit him on the lip.
The boy was treated at the scene and given pain relief by St John staff from Turangi before being taken to Taupo Hospital where his injuries were dressed. A decision was then made to fly him to Waikato Hospital in the Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter so he could be seen by a paediatrician and a surgical team.
He had surgery on Wednesday night and doctors have said he will need more surgery to repair the damage to his lips and mouth.
In a statement, the boy's mother said he had done nothing to aggravate the dog.