Staffordshire bull terrier-cross Molly was last month confiscated by the Christchurch City Council animal control unit after it broke loose and attacked another dog.
The incident comes as council figures reveal reported dog attacks on people and other dogs have increased in the past two years.
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| Daisy was fatally attacked when Molly escaped from its owner’s property. |
Nearly 750 attacks were reported in the year ending June 30, compared with 650 for the same period in 2011. The city has 34,072 registered dogs.
Daisy, the parson jack russell Molly attacked, had to be put down as a result of the injuries.
Sonya Knapp, 74, who was leading Daisy on a leash, is sometimes haunted by the attack.
"The first two weeks were terrible. I thought we'd never get over it because it was so gruesome.
"It just kept hitting me, seeing that dog squeezing her neck."
Ms Knapp felt Molly should either be re-homed to "someone who knows how to look after those sorts of dogs" or put down.
"I definitely don't think they should be allowed her back."
The dog's registered owner, who refused to be named, told The Press last month that Molly escaped as her next-door neighbour had moved wooden boards that secured a hole in the fence.
Ms Knapp wanted a decision made as soon as possible for the sake of Molly, since the dog was living in a "concrete prison". She said she had finally received an apology in her mailbox from Molly's registered owner. It was the only sign of remorse she had seen.
A council spokeswoman said a conviction was being sought for a breach of the Dog Control Act 1996. The dog will remain in the pound until the outcome of the hearing. A date has yet to be set.
"The circumstances in which the judge does not order the destruction of the dog must be exceptional," the spokeswoman said.
It had never happened before, she said. The longest time a dog has been in the council's custody is about eight months.
The dog owner pays for the care of the dog, which is about $50 a week, while in custody.
Of the city's registered dogs, 17 are classified as dangerous and 117 as menacing.
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| Molly, which fatally mauled parson jack russell terrier Daisy, is in the pound until her fate is decided in court. |
In the year ending June 30, 2013, 1785 dogs were impounded with 407 of those euthanased and the remainder either returned home or adopted out.
Last year, the council successfully took eight prosecutions against dog owners for offences.
As a result, 11 dog owners were disqualified from owning dogs for between two and three years and received fines of between $150 and $300.
The dogs were disposed of by the council in these cases.
Animal control team leader Mark Vincent said that considering the large number of dogs in Christchurch, the council received very few complaints about dogs wandering uncontrolled on streets or causing annoyance at local beaches.
The council's bylaw team used proactive enforcement strategies to ensure compliance, he said.
Dog attacks
Complaints by the numbers in the year ending June 30:
Dog attacks on people:
2011: 261
2012: 245
2013: 325
Dog attacks on animals:
2011: 389
2012: 424
2013: 430
(TVNZ - September 05, 2013)
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