Ōpōtiki Street Terrorised By Roaming Dogs

Monday, 6 January 2025, 7:33 pm
Article: Diane McCarthy - Local Democracy Reporter

A woman says she was rushed and bailed up by a pack of dogs in the latest in a spate of dog incidents on Ford Street in Ōpōtiki over the Christmas break.

The woman, who did not wish to be named for fear of repercussions said the incident happened on the same street where four dogs had to be seized and euthanised in September after attacking a woman.

The Ōpōtiki News reported the attack on a young woman on 14 September, which left her with serious injuries requiring hospitalisation.

Last Friday, a woman in her 60s was walking her dog when three "hunting-type dogs" and one younger dog rushed out of the property.

The dogs surrounded her in what she described as a "terrifying" hunting manoeuvre.

"I was shaking. I've started shaking again now thinking about it," she said.

"We were saved by the people across the road," she said.

The woman said it was not the first time neighbours had rescued her from dogs rushing from the same property.

She said she stopped walking through the area as dogs had ran at her in the past.

It was only after hearing that dogs had been euthanised at a property on the street that she become brave enough to start walking past the house again.

"When I read about the woman being attacked, I felt really bad that I hadn't reported the dogs earlier, because they always scared me."

As soon as she felt safe, she phoned Ōpōtiki District Council's after-hours number.

"The council offices are all shut over the holidays. They said they'd ring dog control, and I just assumed something would happen and somebody would contain those dogs."

However, she said it took two hours for the after-hours contractor got back to her.

"They were in Whakatāne. They hadn't even been out (to Ōpōtiki).

"Those dogs have essentially been out on the street for at least three hours. There are children in that street with those dogs roaming loose.

"If I'd known they weren't coming out for two hours I would have rung the police."

Other neighbours confirmed there have been issues with dogs at a Ford St property and it was not an isolated incident.

On 23 December, a person posted on social media that he had been bitten by a dog at a different Ford Street address.

Just the day before, Ōpōtiki News reported that a dog had been shot dead in front of its owner by a man claiming the dog had bit his child.

"When I heard about that I was feeling a lot of anger toward the guy who shot the dog, thinking he could have just called dog control," the woman said.

"But since this experience I've begun to understand why he felt he needed to deal with it himself," the woman said.

The district council offices are closed until 6 January.

Staff said they were not able to provide the Local Democracy Reporting [Ōpōtiki News] with information about the incident until the office reopened.

While the after-hours extension offered on the council's phone message was the best way to report roaming dogs, more serious incidents, such as an attack or dogs rushing at people should be reported to police, a council spokesperson said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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