There's been some justice for the 95-year-old man who was attacked twice by vicious dogs in Northland - the canine believed to have attacked him on Monday has been impounded.
Twice in two months, Jim Morgan was attacked by dogs in his hometown of Kaikohe.
After the first attack, Mr Morgan had to put down his beloved dog Sandy - his companion of over a decade. On Monday, Mr Morgan was left bloodied and in shock after another dog attack on the very same street.
Far North District Council animal management officers believe they have caught the dog responsible for the second attack, and impounded it on Wednesday.
"The terrier cross was impounded during an early morning visit to a property previously identified by Mr Morgan," said an animal management spokesperson.
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"Another young dog was also impounded from the same address, although this dog is not believed to have taken part in Monday's attack."
A neighbour of Mr Morgan told Newshub that he is now too afraid to go for walks on the streets outside his property, as he fears being attacked again.
The neighbour said it's "it's a a sad indictment of the way the Far North District Council have allowed the errant dog owners and dogs to continue to terrorise the neighbourhood".
At the same time as the impounding, four animal management officers conducted door-to-door searches and found a total of 16 dogs, five of which were unregistered.
Although residents will be relieved at the animals being impounded, the dog control problem in Kaikohe remains.
"This does not resolve persistent dog control problems we have in parts of the district," said environmental services manager Darren Edwards.
"Since the December 16 attack on Mr Morgan and his dog, Sandy, we have impounded 20 straying dogs and seized another two in the Kaikohe area.
"That illustrates how pervasive the problem of irresponsible dog ownership is. It is not just a Kaikohe problem; this is replicated across the district."
Mr Edwards says many dog owners will not cooperate with the law, and will hide their dogs after an attack in a refusal to cooperate with animal management.
"This means we rely on the community to help by providing witness statements and, where necessary, testifying in court."
The Dog Control Act states all dogs must be registered and controlled. Owners face fines if they refuse to comply.
Newshub.
