'My dogs aren't vicious mongrels'

Wednesday, 20 June 2018

A Southland woman says her dogs are not vicious mongrels and she denies they attacked a child.

Darryl Russell's two rottweiler dogs have been classified as menacing after the Invercargill City Council said one of them bit a child on the stomach at Russell's home at Colyers Island in Bluff harbour.

However, Russell said her dogs were actually 'rounding up' the children and herding them back towards their mother and the bite never happened.

'They aren't vicious mongrels.

'They are my family. They live with me.'

The council classified the dogs, Ted and Tish, as menacing following the March incident.

Russell objected to the menacing classifications and argued her case at a hearing before three city councillors on Wednesday.

A council report to the hearing says a woman and three children were on the mudflats near Colyers Island when they heard barking and saw dogs running towards them.

'The complainant's daughter screamed as one dog reached out, biting her in the stomach.'

The council's compliance team leader Elle Dickson recommended that the panel uphold the menacing classification for both dogs.

Dickson said the dogs had never previously attacked a person, but indicated their previous aggressive behaviour had been noted.

There was a lack of fencing on Colyers Island, so the dogs were not adequately confined, and this put the public at ongoing risk of future attacks, Dickson said.

Russell said she owned the island, where she lived alone, and had an ongoing problem with trespassers.

She had the dogs for personal protection, and to stop people taking archaeological items from the island.

However, she said her dogs had never bitten anyone and she resented being called an irresponsible dog owner.

'I think the mother is irresponsible.

'She came across my bridge, picked up three children and lifted them two and a half foot down onto the foreshore, still on my property, and the whole time there was a sign there saying, 'do not enter, dogs running free'.'

The woman and children were on her driveway when the incident unfolded, not the mudflats, she said.

Her dogs ran down their driveway to see what was at the bottom and the children were screaming, she said.

However, her dog Ted was 'not in attack mode', he was bouncing up and down, and the dogs 'rounded up' the children and herded them towards their mother, she said.

Russell said she tried to grab the children to 'end their terror'.

'I saw no biting, no attacking. In the victim report there's no sign of injury to the child, nothing.'

Russell said her dogs were confined to her home when she was away, and she had total voice control over them.

She intends to fence around the house area on the island.

Senior animal control officer Micheal​ Murdoch said he had not seen any bite wounds on the child.

When asked during the hearing whether he believed there had been a bite, he said: 'I believe something happened.'

After the hearing, the councillors - Darren Ludlow, Karen Arnold and Toni Biddle - reserved their decision.

If the menacing classification is upheld, the dogs will have to be desexed and will not be allowed in a public place unless muzzled or in a vehicle or cage.

A city bylaw also stipulates dog owners must ensure the public can gain unrestricted access to at least one doorway of their home without being impeded by a dog.

Meanwhile, Gore police shot one of two dogs acting aggressively towards stock in a paddock at Mataura on Wednesday.

Gore District Council communications officer Sonia Gerken said a council animal control officer had earlier received a complaint about the dogs.

'A sharpei-cross was destroyed and a bull terrier was caught and impounded.'

The council had since been in touch with the owner of the dogs.

'We appreciate it's not easy to hear your dog has had to be killed.'

It was the first time in at least four years, maybe longer, that the council has had to have a dog destroyed in these circumstances, she said.

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