Dog mauls boy

A dog breeder’s reputation remains unblemished after one of her boxers mauled her grandson.

The attack happened in November, when Pearl Gill’s daughter and grandson had temporarily moved into her home near Pahiatua.

Despite the boy requiring a significant number of stitches, Gill, 66, was granted a discharge without conviction in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday.

Gill, a member of the New Zealand Kennel Club, has bred and cared for dogs since she was a teenager.

She now provides a safe haven for 27 retired breeding and show dogs on her Tararua lifestyle block.

Judge Stephanie Edwards said Gill had strict rules for how children interacted with her dogs, however, she could not have foreseen this attack.

At the time, two of her boxers, Coco and Red, were on heat.

They were locked in their kennel and segregated from the rest of the dogs.

Boxers are typically intelligent but fearless dogs that have a strong jaw and powerful bite for hanging on to large prey.

When it came time to exercise

Coco and Red, Gill instructed her grandson to stay inside the house. But her request was ignored.

The boy, aged 7, hid under a trailer outside with Coco’s bone.

When he jumped out, Coco and Red excitedly jumped on him. He quickly became frightened and ran away.

Eager for the bone, Coco latched on to the boy’s arm for some time. Red did not join the attack.

The boy was rescued by Gill, who punched the dog until it let go. The boy’s mother shielded him from any further contact.

The boy was left with severe bite marks and required a ‘‘significant number’’ of stitches. But there has been no permanent damage and the boy does not have a fear of dogs.

The judge said Gill was an experienced dog handler who since the incident had taken appropriate steps, including having Coco put down.

‘‘You have devoted much of your adult life to breeding, showing and caring for dogs,’’ the judge said.

‘‘While you are now breeding to a limited extent, you still rehome retired dogs.

‘‘You’ve given them a chance to live out their lives. I believe your reputation should remain untarnished.’’

Gill was also a keen horse rider until a riding accident affected her mobility.