Kerikeri resident Jeff Knight was walking his wire-haired fox terrier JJ with his daughter in Roland's Wood on November 3 when two pit bull Staffordshire crosses without collars rushed at them.
The stronger one attacked without warning, leaving JJ with a deep gash under his throat and puncture wounds on his front legs and neck.
"The dogs came roaring towards me," Jeff says.
"It attacked without warning. It just came up, it didn't growl or anything, it just grabbed my dog. It had him by the neck and it was chew, chew, chew.
"His [JJ] tongue was blue and his eyes were glazed."
Jeff and Cherry grabbed JJ's lead and put it round the attacking dog's neck to try and choke it off.
The dog also bit Jeff's hand, which required medical treatment.
JJ had vet treatment including sutures for the puncture wounds. He is now home recovering but "it was touch and go."
An owner can be fined up to $3,000 if their dog attacks a person or another animal under the Dog Control Act. The court can also order the destruction of the dog.
Owners of unregistered dogs can be fined $300.
Jeff wants to warn Kerikeri residents about dangerous dogs.
"We've still got vicious dogs roaming around unregistered...the owners are irresponsible and don't care. There's only one thing to happen to it...put it down."
Council spokesman Dean Myburgh says a council animal management officer attended the incident and a dog was taken into custody.
An investigation is underway and decisions will be made on taking appropriate follow-up action under the Dog Control Act.
Options could include prosecution and seeking a destruction order.
"Animal management staff have had previous dealings with this owner and dog," Myburgh says.
"This history will be taken into account...Under the Dog Control Act owners are responsible for ensuring their dogs are under control at all times."
*What do you think should happen to vicious dogs? Email jenny.ling@fairfaxmedia.co.nz
Some points Cherry Knight made in her letter to the Far North District Council. She has agreed to meet the owner as part of a restorative process.
If this was my dog that had attacked another dog... I definitely wouldn't be able to trust it around other animals and children. I find it unacceptable to have children or any person at risk of such an experience.
Had it been a child walking a dog on a lead the consequences would have been more serious or fatal.
This dog was definitely in a kill mode with myself and my 76-year-old father fully physically engaged trying to dislodge this dog from the attack.
If it wasn't for the thinking and courage of my father...we would have witnessed a brutal killing frenzy that would have no doubt resulted in his dog being killed.
Even then we were shocked to find he was still alive when it was eventually released.
Given the owner is quite young, I feel for him to meet or witness the scars of victims of such attacks might help him understand the impact dogs can have in these situations.
If the owner had witnessed his dog in the process of this attack...he might easily come to the same conclusion, that the risk would be too high for his dog NOT to be put down.
(Auckland Now - Nov 10, 2015)
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