Fears after dog attack victim has face mauled

NEW ZEALAND -- The Temple View community is worried about a large Rottweiler which mauled a young woman so badly that she required more than 100 stitches and a four-night stay in Waikato Hospital.

Shimmal Ngawaka, 20, was hospitalised after the dog savaged her in Temple View Reserve last Thursday afternoon.

The Waikato University accounting student from Dinsdale was walking with friend Raquel Murray when she saw a small, white dog, know as Lulu, come under attack by the large uncollared Rottweiler. Both dogs were loose without owners.

Ms Murray went to Lulu's aid while Ngawaka went after the Rottweiler.

"She grabbed the big dog and it grabbed her on the face," said mutual friend Lauren McCarthy.

"It bit her on the left side of the face, all her top lip was missing, and some of her right cheek was missing.

"She could not speak because she was so shaken."

Ms Ngawaka was admitted to Waikato Hospital on Thursday night and discharged on Monday but returned yesterday to have her stitches removed.

She was reluctant to talk to the Waikato Times and Ms McCarthy said said her friend found it difficult to talk because of her injuries.

Ms McCarthy, who with Ms Ngawaka and Ms Murray attend The Church of Latter Day Saints in Temple View, said the community feared another attack, particularly at the park where young children played.

"I have got three little sisters and I don't want to find out one of them has got attacked."

Temple View Store owner Lily Li said she would be warning people to look out for the Rottweiler after she saw the extent of Ms Ngawaka's injuries in the shop on Wednesday.

"It's really bad, she could not talk because of the stitches," she said. "Imagine if it had been a little child who had been attacked."

Ms McCarthy's mother, Jodi Belbin, was concerned the dog had not been dealt with. "They [residents] need to keep their kids away from the park. I would hate it to happen to another person."

Hamilton City Council city safe unit manager Elton Parata said the attack had not been reported to the Animal Education and Control team.

"We urge any witnesses or the victim to report the incident as soon as possible and to give us as much information as they can, so we can investigate."

Council staff would not say whether any rottweilers were registered in Temple View.

ACC Senior Media Advisor Stephanie Melville said most dog-related injuries were minor and required a visit to the GP.

"The three most common injuries being laceration, soft tissue injury and dental injury. Given we're a country of animal lovers with a doggy population of approximately 700,000, and around 29 per cent of us are dog-owning homes, it can be a case of the minority [of dogs and dog owners] giving majority a bad wrap."

(TVNZ - Nov 15, 2013)