A person is in a critical condition after a dog attack in Waihi on Sunday night.
Emergency services were called to Consols Street and Silverton Road shortly before 6pm after reports of the attack.
A helicopter from Tauranga and two ambulances from Waihi arrived and treated the person at the scene.
They have been transferred to Tauranga Hospital for medical treatment.
According to a study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, nearly 5000 people were hospitalised due to dog attacks in New Zealand between 2004 and 2014.
"Dog bite injuries can cause significant morbidity and be difficult to treat," the report says.
"Unfortunately, the most vulnerable members of society, children under 10 and those from low socioeconomic areas, are also the most at-risk for these injuries."
The NZ Institute of Animal Control Officers says Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) deals with more than 10,000 dog bite claims a year, but not all bites need medical attention.
Statistics from ACC show it paid out more than $4 million in 2016 alone due to dog-bite related injuries. That year, it processed 13,801 dog-bite claims.
