6 May 2019
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Dog attack
Enquiry
We were passed on a report yesterday about 12.45pm of a dog attack in Kaingaroa Forest Village, on Daniel St.
A child was bitten by a pitbull apparently, and taken to Rotorua Hospital with a bite down to the bone.
Police said they were alerted but we would have to go to Animal Control for comment.
So hoping to please confirm what I can from you team, and find out what happened in response to the attack.
Response
The following information and quotes were provided: Please note: The bites suffered by the child in Kaingaroa were not 'to the bone'. Also, it would be great if you are able to use some of the additional info below as well as anything in quotes to help us reinforce some key info, particularly around reporting of roaming dogs. From Dylan Wright, Animal Control Team Lead: "Council was notified by police about a dog attack in Kaingaroa and a staff member went to Rotorua Hospital to meet with the mother and the child who had suffered puncture wounds to a leg. The attack happened out on a street where children were playing. The dog, a pitbull type, came out from a property. After visiting the mother and child in hospital, the animal control officer later visited the owners of the dog in Kaingaroa but the dog was no longer at the property. It is understood the dog's owners and the victim of the attack are whanau. The mother of the injured boy indicated she did not wish to take the matter to court and because the injuries were not serious, the matter was dealt with by way of a $300 infringement notice. Meanwhile, we have become aware of another dog attack that was not reported to Council and happened about five days ago in the Westbrook area. A dog attacked a child walking home but the boy was unable to give any description and we do not know where the dog was from. We would like to remind people that reporting attacks to Council and as soon as possible is vital to ensuring these incidents can be dealt with. Attacks are considered a 'priority one' job which means they are responded to immediately 24 hours a day. These latest attacks, both on children, both had the potential for the consequences to have been much worse. It should serve as a timely reminder for dog owners that it is their responsibility to make sure their dog is secured on their own property at all time and that when others are around, they should ensure they maintain control over their dog and monitor people's interaction with them, particularly children." Additional info - Roaming dogs: -Roaming dogs should be reported to Council as soon as possible. Often people post pictures and information on private social media pages which means officers are not aware of roaming dog issues. If dogs are reported to Council, officers can attend sooner and are more likely to pick up the dog(s). -When reporting a dog (if safe to do so) a photograph of the dog and/or a detailed description of the breed and if known, the address from which the dog emerged or is known to live, is useful. This information will help animal control staff to follow up as appropriate. -If you see a roaming dog it is important to try and distance yourself from the dog but do not run. If possible get behind a solid object such as a fence, inside your home if you are on your own property or get to your car if it is nearby. Council has a team of seven active Animal Control officers with a minimum of four attending complaints and patrols daily Monday to Friday and a minimum of two on weekends. Afterhours officers are on call after 4.30pm and respond as needed to jobs phoned through to our afterhours team. -Council's Animal Control officers respond to all jobs lodged as soon as possible. If they are not responding to a particular job they are out on general patrol around the district. -Council's Animal Control team must work to the legislation set out under the Dog Control Act. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Media: Rotorua Daily Post We have noticed some demolition crews have now set up at the Silveroaks Hotel Geyserland on Fenton St. The council was involved with this building in 2017 due to subsidence issues. Has the council now ordered its demolition? Can you provide us with an update on the land/geothermal situation there? ResponseThe following information was provided: We can confirm that the Dangerous Building' notice remains in place but Council hasn't ordered the demolition of the building or had any involvement with that decision so you will need to contact the owners to find out what's happening. Note: For your reference, see THIS LINK for the previous article published by the Daily Post |