Pitbull to be destroyed

The dog that attacked horses and riders at Muriwai Beach earlier this year will be destroyed.

On January 5 a pit bull dog attacked a group returning from a guided trek.

The unprovoked attack left the district’s horse-riding fraternity stunned.

The man, in his mid-20s, who owns the dog has been found guilty of common assault as well as being convicted on two charges of owning a dog involved in a serious attack.

On August 18 he was fined $150, ordered to pay $130 court costs, made to pay reparations of $1000 and the destruction of the offending dog was ordered.

At the time of the incident Rodney animal control officers said it was one of the worst attacks they had encountered.

Dog attacks on horses are not new.

In January 2005 two unsupervised pit bull terrier cross dogs attacked two miniature horses on a property in Swanson.

The Waitakere City Council prosecuted and two people were convicted and sentenced on four charges under the Dog Control Act 1996.

Dog attacks on horses are also an international problem with the British Horse Society this year calling for information on the scale and severity of dog attacks on horses to form an awareness campaign.

- © Fairfax NZ News