Dogs leave 5-year-old ‘savaged’
Child covered in blood after attack, write Brooke Bath, Nicole Lawton and Simon Maude.
The grandfather of a little boy savagely attacked by a pack of dogs is facing charges over the attack – but says he’s just glad his ‘‘moko is OK’’.
The man raced home yesterday afternoon after being told of the attack at his house on Emily St in Gisborne.
As he ran up his driveway, police met him and showed him pictures of the injuries to his grandson, Calais.
The five-year-old, who was taken to Gisborne Hospital after being bitten on his face and buttocks by the american staffordshire terriers, is in a stable condition in the children’s ward.
Neighbours described hearing the savage attack.
One couple said they were having lunch when they heard a man ‘‘screaming blue murder’’ from the property where the incident occurred.
They heard growling, then ‘‘a guy screaming blue murder, ‘get off, get off’!’’ .
‘‘Then the next thing these bloody ambulances arrive and then police.’’
Next door neighbours jumped the fence to help.
‘‘The main thing I saw was the little one, the mum rushing him to the ambulance covered in blood, he must have been pretty badly savaged,’’ the man said.
‘‘I saw quite a bit of blood, the child was covered in blood, the mother was beside herself as you would expect.’’
Calais’ grandfather said he was at a loss to work out why the dogs had attacked the child, who had been playing inside but was set upon when he opened the doors out to the deck.
‘‘We’re all shattered. Ultimately we’re just glad that moko (grandson) is OK but we’re also really shattered about the dogs.’’
Four dogs were removed from the property but only the three dogs that attacked will be destroyed by Gisborne Animal Control.
One of the dogs that attacked was a female with a litter of puppies.
Calais’ grandfather said he had been charged over the incident, and is due to appear in court next week.
He said the dogs were ‘‘just babies’’ and had never been aggressive before.
‘‘It’s just shattered us all in every way but we’re just glad moko is going to be all right.’’