DCC officer needed stitches for dog bites

A PACK attack by two dogs left an animal control officer with bites to her hand, leg and hip and needing six stitches for a wound to her elbow.

In the attack, at the Waldronville property of father and son Keirin and Dylan Tutty, their respective dogs Rick (a 5yearold Labradorretriever cross) and Tigger (a 2yearold bull terrier cross) operated as a pack, biting the officer and then retreating before biting again.

The pattern occurred multiple times, court documents said.

About 12.30pm on February 19, Tigger was seen on the footpath outside the Tuttys’ property before going down the driveway of a private property and approaching a fenced area where a woman kept her dog. Tigger lunged towards the fence and tried to bite the woman’s dog. The woman yelled and Tigger ran back into his own property.

The woman subsequently found her dog was limping and there was a hole and blood on one of its paws. First aid was required.

Following a complaint, a Dunedin City Council animal control officer went to the Tuttys’ address, about 4pm on February 22.

The house did not have a door accessible from the street, access being at the back of the property through a wooden fenced area. There were no warning signs on the fence as to the presence of dogs.

Wishing to knock on the door to raise the occupants, the officer went through a gate.

As she approached the house, the dogs lunged at her and attacked, jumping towards her face and attempting to bite her leg.

She tried to fend them off and managed to get to the house, and after banging on the door was admitted by Keirin Tutty who, after apologising, told her she should not have gone to the back of the house.

On leaving the property, the officer contacted another DCC staff member who took her to the emergency department.

Charged under the Dog Control Act, Keirin Robert Tutty (44) and Dylan Robert Tutty (23) did not appear in court but pleaded guilty by letter to three charges.

Each faced a single charge of owning a dog that attacked a person.

A second charge against Dylan Tutty was of failing to keep a dog under control.

Dealing with the matter in the Dunedin District Court last week, Judge Emma Smith convicted and fined the defendants. Each was fined $600, court costs $130, on the attack offence; and Dylan Tutty was fined $500, court costs $130, on the other charge against him.

DCC prosecutor Eleanor Bunt said both dogs had now been euthanised.