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A Christchurch family has been left shaken after their pet dog was injured in an attack outside their Avondale home, with the owner of the attacking dogs leaving the scene.
The incident occurred at about 8.45am on Sunday 14 December as the family was opening their front gate on Avondale Road to take their two year old Shibai Inu, Zoey, for a walk.
As the gate was opened, a man rode past the property on his bicycle with his two dogs, which ran onto the section and attacked Zoey.
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The family said the larger dog, described as an American Bulldog type, grabbed Zoey by the throat and refused to let go.
Zoey’s owner tried to stop the attack by striking the dog with the solid handle of its lead, but the dog continued to hold on, leaving Zoey with a cut about 3 inches long to her throat.
A second dog, described as a short haired Husky type that was light coloured and mostly white, latched onto Zoey’s midriff, causing puncture wounds.
Witnesses said the man appeared to have little to no control over the dogs and struggled to manage them while riding his bicycle.
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After the attack, the man continued along Avondale Road before turning right onto Breezes Road and heading toward the red zone area, without stopping to provide his details or check on the injured dog.
Christchurch City Council Dog Control has since visited the family and taken a statement.
Several local residents have since contacted the family with similar accounts, suggesting the incident was not isolated.
Some said they or people they knew had been attacked or threatened by dogs matching the same description in recent months.
Zoey’s family said the attacking dogs looked similar to these animals
Others said they had previously seen a man with two uncontrolled dogs running onto private properties in the area.
Residents have also raised concerns about public safety, warning the next victim could be a child.
The family said the most distressing aspect was the lack of accountability.
“This could easily have been a small child,” the family said. “Without identifying the owner, there is nothing to stop this from happening again.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or recognises the description of the dogs or the owner is urged to contact Christchurch City Council Dog Control.
Zoey was immediately taken to the vet for treatment and was resting at home.
