Roaming dogs attack kids, tear skin from neighbour’s leg

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

A pair of roaming dogs that attacked two children as they were playing on the footpath outside their home went on to maul another neighbour who had tried to ward the dogs away.

While the potential fate of Hunter, a male Staffordshire bull terrier American pitbull cross, and Iris, a female Staffordshire bull terrier, is yet to be decided, the dogs’ owner Maria Thompson pleaded guilty to two charges brought by the Hamilton City Council when she appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday.

Thompson will be sentenced on the charges - owning a dog that has attacked a person causing serious injury, and owning a dog in breach of a menacing dog classification - on November 24.

Three additional charges were withdrawn by the council at her appearance.

As the agreed summary of facts on her case reveals, Hunter was classified as a dangerous dog in December 2023, following previous attacks on a person and a dog, aggressive behaviour and roaming.

As such, he was required to wear a muzzle and be on a leash whenever he was out in public.

It was a similar situation with Iris, who was classified as a menacing dog after attacking another dog in the same incident in December 2023.

It was sometime during the day on September 25 the following year when two children - a 9-year-old boy and his sister who lived near Thompson’s house in Norrie St, Hamilton - were playing on the footpath outside their own home.

Without warning, Hunter and Iris ran out of an alleyway that was straight across the road from the two youngsters, and charged towards them.

The boy and his sister - whose age is not recorded - saw the animals approaching and took fright, running back towards their house, screaming.

The dogs caught up to them and Hunter bit the boy hard on his forearm.

A neighbour saw what was happening and attempted to ward the two dogs back to their own property - only for the animals to come running at him too. Hunter leapt at the man, who attempted to block the dog with his arm, but got bitten on the elbow.

The neighbour, thinking the attack was over, turned to walk back to his house. Hunter, who had been placed back inside his own property by this time, jumped back over the fence and onto the footpath.

Hunter bit the man from behind on his right thigh, and swung his head viciously from side to side, pulling the victim to the ground and tearing a flap of skin measuring 15 centimetres by 10 centimetres from his leg.

After a short time Hunter let go, and returned to Thompson’s property.

Realising he was seriously injured, the man called for an ambulance to take him to Waikato Hospital, where he had skin graft surgery to reattach the torn patch.

The summary notes the man has continued to suffer from nightmares following the attack.

Hunter and Iris were seized by council staff, and the summary states they are currently being held pending resolution of Thompson’s prosecution.

The city council has also applied for an order seeking the destruction of Hunter, under the auspices of the Dog Control Act, 1996.