Pitbull pup to the rescue

JONATHAN CAMERON/ Manawatu Standard

MY HERO: Bainesse woman Jamie Taiwhati was saved from a gunman by the actions of her heroic pitbull Tiva.

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Pitbull puppy Tiva is being hailed a hero after she foiled an armed attack on her owner by sinking her teeth into the arm of a gun-toting assailant.

Jamie Taiwhati, 18, of Bainesse, was attacked by four men on Roberts Line, near Palmerston North, about 2am on Saturday.

"I was pulling out on to Roberts Line when this car came right up my arse, overtook me, and smashed a bottle on my car."

When she pulled over, the men emerged from the silver-coloured car wielding a variety of weapons, including hammers, wrenches, chains and screwdrivers.

The men smashed the boot and passenger side windows, and dented the passenger side doors of Miss Taiwhati's pink Mazda Familia.

Her partner and friend got out to confront the men but returned to the car when one of the attackers said he was getting a gun.

Miss Taiwhati said her partner saw the man take a gun from the boot and wrap it in a pillow case, but police doubt it was a firearm.

"He came over to me and said 'get in the f****** car bitch'," she said.

"I was screaming `what have I done to you?'

"The guy with the gun jumped on the bonnet and was pointing it at me." When the gunman went to the driver side window, Tiva leapt out of the window and latched on to his arm.

The man stumbled backwards, giving Miss Taiwhati time to pull Tiva back in the car and escape.

She stopped at the nearest house and called police.

"I was just scared because I've never experienced a gun getting pointed at me before. You don't know whether they are gonna pull the trigger or not."

Her 10-month-old puppy is a hero, she said.

"She's protective of me but I've never seen her do that before. People say pitbulls are bad but they are very protective of their owners."

Miss Taiwhati saved Tiva's life last year, when she took her from people who planned to put the sick puppy down.

Feilding sergeant Phil Gilbanks said police are investigating but no arrests had been made.

The "gun" was most likely a long item placed under a blanket that was made to look like a firearm, he said.

Mr Gilbanks said the attack was a one-off altercation between boy racers and the public had no cause for alarm.

Miss Taiwhati said the men, who were in their 20s, were searching for a man they had seen talking to her earlier in the night. He was not in her car.

Her 19-year-old partner and 20-year-old friend were shaken-up but not hurt in the attack.