Dog's attack 'a horror movie'

NEW ZEALAND -- An elderly Christchurch man says seeing his dog rip a preschooler out of their mother's arms was "like a horror movie".

Anthony John Howard pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court earlier this month to owning a dog that attacked 3-year-old Toby Saunders at the Groynes dog park on April 15.

Howard said he had been "almost suicidal" over the incident but took responsibility for his dog's actions.

Anthony John Howard leaves the Christchurch
District Court after his dog attacked a child.

The 72-year-old had adopted the former show rottweiler 16 days before the attack happened.
He had "always" been a responsible dog owner and had owned rottweilers before.

Howard did not know much about 2-year-old Buster's background but said that, although he was "full of energy", he had shown no signs of aggression.

"I made a drastic mistake. I didn't think he'd do what he did."

Prosecutor Shaun Brookes told the court Howard watched from 50 metres away as his dog began to circle Caroline Saunders and her two children, George, 2, and Toby.

Saunders picked up George, then saw Buster on top of Toby, mauling him while he lay on the ground.

She managed to pick Toby up but the dog lunged at the preschooler again and continued the attack.

Toby suffered bites to his buttocks, thighs and right calf and was hospitalised for four days, requiring two surgeries and numerous stitches to close 10 wounds.

"They reckoned I was just standing here nonchalantly. I wasn't. I didn't see the beginning of the attack," Howard told The Press. 30.

"By the time I got over there it was all over. I was mortified. It was like a horror movie seeing the wee boy being pulled out of her arms."

Howard said he put the dog on a lead and gave a statement to police. The dog was put down soon after.

"I'm not trying to make out that I'm not responsible for what happened, I know I am . . . but taking two children in there on a trike doesn't make sense to me."

Howard was sentenced to 130 hours' community work, fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $8,000 reparation to the family.

He accepted he needed to pay reparation but did not know how he would meet the 28-day deadline ordered by the court.

"I'm 72 and the bank won't let me have any bloody money because I'm too old. I'm going to have to put my house on the market."

He planned to appeal for more time to pay.

The Saunders family declined to comment about the incident.

(Stuff.co.nz - Oct 3, 2014)