Pitbull attacks horses and riders

BRIDLEWAYS

TRAFFOC PROBLEMS: Horses vie with every other beach user, including motorbikes and offroaders, for Muriwai Beach use.

Relevant offers

A pitbull attack on horses and riders returning from a Muriwai Beach guided trek is one of the worst Rodney animal control officers say they have encountered.

They describe the unprovoked attack on four of eight horses in the group as particularly vicious.

The January 5 incident has left the district’s horse-riding fraternity stunned and angry at what they see as a lack of official support in controlling dogs and motorcyclists on the popular west coast beach.

"It was horrific," says Kim Bell, who has been leading beach treks more than 15 years.

"I have been riding out here for 20 years and never had anything happen like that.

"Several of the horses will be out for a couple of months because they have injuries and because they were so quiet and nice they got the worst of it."

Police say the dog ran into a group of horses, attacking four of them.

"One rider fell off and sprained her wrist while another was bitten through her shoe."

Kumeu police sergeant Murray Smith says the two people who were in control of the dog then appeared and tried to grab the dog.

"They were confronted by the people riding the horses and the pair – a man and woman in their mid-20s – became quite angry and abusive towards the horse riders.

"It is alleged that one of them pushed one of the riders over on the ground," Mr Smith says.

Horse riding guide John Lucas says he was about five minutes behind the group.

"I saw the guide standing on the sand cutting where the cars come out, waving out to me.

"First, I just waved back. I didn’t think anything of it. I looked up again and thought what the hell is she doing – where are the horses.

"There was this guy kneeling down holding this black pitbull type dog. I was about 50 metres away," he says.

"I couldn’t just ride up on the road because there are motorbikes coming up there at 70 to 80kmh.

"I got as close as I could and she said: ‘John can you please ring the cops. A dog has attacked the horses’."

Mr Lucas says the man then grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck, dragging it up the sand alley.

"He was pretty agressive in getting away and telling them it wasn’t the dog’s fault, it was the horses’ fault."

The police say the couple then got into a vehicle and drove off.

"Members of the trekking party noted the registration number and reported the matter first to the police and then to dog control," says Mr Smith.

"I think the two people who were in control of the dog have moved it to another location and, as far as I know, the Rodney District Council has not located that dog yet," Mr Smith says.

A council spokesman says the dog has disappeared and strenuous efforts are being made to locate it.

"We understand the police will be laying a prosecution, and as that prosecution is likely to be more robust than ours we’ll leave it there," he says.

Auckland Regional Council Rodney representative Christine Rose says there has never, in her experience, been adequate dog control enforcement at Muriwai.

- © Fairfax NZ News