Woman savaged by two dogs

[DoozyDog]

Feb 3, 2006

Two dogs have been seized from their owners after they seriously mauled a Hastings woman.

It is the latest in a string of incidents involving canines out of control.

Saydee Lewis wants the two dogs that ganged up on her destroyed.

"I think they should be put down because I don't believe having dogs like that is good for anything," says Lewis.

She was walking to a friends house in Flaxmere on Thursday when a british bull terrier and pitbull cross ambushed her.

"They were like ganging up on me and taking turns lunging at my legs," she says.

Neighbour Mavis Koko was driving past and went to her rescue.

"I grabbed the girl and said get in the van, get in the van, what's the matter? And then I saw her leg, just like a big bite, like a butcher's knife," says Koko.

The owner of the british bull terrier says he deeply regrets what his dog has done and accepts his dog may have to be put down. While the pitbull's owner is surprised her dog was involved.

Police are now considering charging the owners.

"With it being the end of school holidays if it had been a small child we could be looking at something a lot worse. We are treating this as being very serious," says Andrew Clinton of the Hastings Police.

Lewis says she is just thankful to be alive.

This is the latest in a spate of dog attacks involving at least nine victims. On Sunday an Otaki woman was savaged by a dog and its owner has yet to be found.

Owners face up to three months in prison if convicted.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/656526

[linnie]

When you think about it if the law enforced prison sentences for owners who have dogs that do this it just may make them be more responsible for keeping their dogs in a controlled environment and making sure they cant roam the streets.