Schoolboy ran for his life from dog attack
The owner of a Pitbull-boxer cross who attacked four highschool boys last week has been charged.
His three-year-old dog was immediately impound following the attack in Tokoroa last Wednesday and was put down on Friday.
The dog’s 47-year-old owner has been charged with owning a dog that causes injury which carries a maximum penalty of 3 years imprisonment or a $20,000 fine.
He appeared in the Tokoroa District Court on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the police said the attack was a timely reminder to dog owners to be responsible for their animals.
‘‘You are responsible to ensure your enclosure is secure to prevent this type of incident happening again,’’ Senior Sergeant Jason Henderson said.
The boys involved in the attack described it as scary.
‘‘It was pretty freaky. I was sprinting, trying to save myself. I wasn’t really thinking. I was kinda in shock, thinking, oh, sh.., I just got mauled by a dog,’’ Izaiah Parry, 16, said.
‘‘It felt like someone was punching me.’’
Parry and three of his friends were walking home about lunchtime on Wednesday from watersports in Tokoroa when they found two wandering dogs on the railway tracks, Izaiah said.
After taking them to the SPCA, they took a shortcut back to school through the gully on Kelso St.
‘‘This big brown dog climbed over and started chasing us. We sprinted down the gully ... we saw the dog come up to us and was acting all friendly. Then it ran at Shakur and started biting at his bag and jacket.’’
In a matter of seconds, Izaiah found himself running down the gully with the dog biting at his heels.
‘‘I tried grabbing it by the collar, but it bit my arm – my arm went dead.’’
His mate Rangiora Marino grabbed the back legs of the dog while another of the boys took hold of the neck and they pulled the dog off.
Izaiah suffered puncture wounds to his ankles, leg and arm.
A nearby resident came to the group’s aid and drove the 16-year-old to Tokoroa Hospital.