An Auckland dog owner has been sentenced to community service and ordered to pay reparations after her rottweiler attacked and seriously injured a passerby.
The incident occurred in October 2023 in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn.
The victim had stepped aside to let the dog pass as it was being walked by the owner’s 15-year-old son.
However, the rottweiller attacked, leaving the victim with a 10-15cm wound on her arm that required surgery.
The dog was put down at the owner’s request four days after the attack.
The woman was charged and pleaded guilty at the Auckland District Court following the attack, but sought a discharge without conviction from the judge. It was argued that the dog was under the control of her son and that the woman immediately provided assistance to the victim.
The judge denied her request, sentenced her to 70 hours of community service and ordered her to pay $500 in reparations to the victim.
Robert Irvine, Auckland Council’s general manager, licensing and compliance, said there was a “disturbing trend” in the wider issue of dog control.
“Too many dog owners are failing to take responsibility. We are seeing a rise in serious attacks, and it’s clear many owners don’t care, or don’t believe they’ll be held responsible.”
He said that owning a dog came with a duty to ensure the community was safe.
“If you can’t meet that duty, you shouldn’t own a dog.”
Auckland Council’s head of prosecutions, John Kang, said the council had “no hesitation” in putting owners whose animals attacked before a judge.
“Some of these injuries are gruesome. They leave physical and psychological scars,” he said.
“What’s worse is that many of these incidents are entirely preventable – they often happen when owners fail to control their dogs or turn a blind eye to aggressive behaviour. We will continue to prosecute where criminal action is justified under the Solicitor-General’s Prosecution Guidelines.”
Since March 2020, the council has pursued more than 611 prosecutions, targeting owners whose dogs seriously injured other people or animals.
“The message is clear: If your dog bites, mauls, or attacks, you will be held to account,” a council spokesperson said.
“The majority of these cases have been successful, reflecting thorough investigations, decisive legal action, and an unwavering commitment to public safety.”
The council said there had been nearly 3000 dog attacks and more than 15,000 cases of roaming dogs in the city during the 2024-25 financial year, .
It was a dramatic increase from 2020, when just 2000 were logged. The council attributed this to a spike in dog ownership following the Covid-19 lockdowns. There was also a decline in de-sexing and a growing number of unregistered and under-trained animals.
“Behind every statistic is a victim – often a child – left with severe injuries and lifelong trauma.”
The council urged dog owners to register and de-sex their animals, and to take steps to control and contain them at all times.
“This case should send a clear message,” Irvine said.
“Dog attacks will be taken seriously, and prior offending will be taken into account. We will not hesitate to take strong action to protect Aucklanders.”
