Dog rescue trust to pay $15,000 over attack

A Taranaki dog rescue trust has been convicted of owning a dangerous dog that attacked and seriously injured a small girl, and will pay her $10,000 in emotional harm reparation.

The We Love Dogs Charitable Trust’s approach to foster care placement was ‘‘negligent to a significant degree’’ when it placed Scooby, a 9-year-old ridgeback bull mastiff cross dog, in a household with three children, Judge Tony Greig said at sentencing in New Plymouth District Court yesterday.

The dog was placed with the New Plymouth family on July 6, last year, the same day it was collected from a previous foster carer. That carer had warned that the dog had growled at and pinned down one of her cats, and was possessive around its food and its space.

The next morning, as the mother was brushing her teeth, the 4-year-old victim went to pat Scooby on his back and the dog turned and bit her face, causing multiple lacerations.

The mother heard a bark and a scream, and came out to find her wounded daughter and blood all over the lounge.

She read her victim impact statement to the court detailing the effects the attack had on her daughter, including long-term facial scarring and having several surgeries.

Her daughter required ongoing daily care to her wounds, was not able to go swimming and was very scared of dogs.

Judge Grieg said the dog had not been classified as a dangerous dog but that it was ‘‘a serious piece of animal ... there are dog breeds you should be more cautious of and this is one of them.

‘‘[The trust] knew the characteristics of this type of dog and this particular dog, and I believe the trust acted with ‘contumelious disregard’ for the child,’’ he said.

‘‘This means if you were to sue the trust for damages, you would get them, which is very unusual in this country,’’ he told the victim’s mother.

‘‘I do praise the trust’s intention, it has the purest of motives, and only wants to act for the love of dogs, but that does not absolve it of blame.’’

There was an audible gasp from the trust supporters when the judge said Scooby was to be destroyed.

He ordered the trust to pay the victim an emotional harm payment of $10,000 and to pay the $4910 cost of keeping the dog at the New Plymouth pound.

He suppressed the names of the trustees but not the trust.

The trust had sought a discharge without conviction, with defence counsel Mark Anderson arguing a conviction would have ‘‘chilling effects’’ on the trust and the trustees.

Since the incident, the trust had made changes to its procedures after getting advice from dog behaviourist Mark Vette.

These included having every animal assessed by a professional trainer and not placing short-term foster dogs in households with children.