Christchurch residents are being urged to help identify the owner of two dogs involved in separate attacks in Avondale.

The first incident happened at 8:45am on Sunday 14 December, when a cyclist travelling along Avondale Road was accompanied by two dogs on lead.

As the cyclist passed a residential property, one of the dogs, described as a large American Bulldog type dog, attacked a 2 year old Shiba Inu named Zoey, as she was leaving her house with her owner.

The attacking dog entered the property gate to attack Zoey who was on lead.

The dog grabbed Zoey by the throat and would not let go, the owner recounted.

A second dog, described as a husky type dog with short hair and light colouring, mostly white, was also present.

Zoey’s owner said the man riding the bicycle, believed to be aged between 30 and 40, appeared to have no effective control over either dog.

He said he struck one of the attacking dogs lead handle in an effort to make it release Zoey, but to no avail.

After the attack, the cyclist left the scene with his two dogs, continuing down Avondale Road before turning right onto Breezes Road toward the Red Zone.

Zoey suffered injuries and required urgent veterinary care.

Her owner said the experience has been extremely distressing and the lack of accountability has been frustrating.

Even since the attack, Zoey’s owner has been trying to find the cyclist, and said other dog owners had since contacted him with similar dog attack stories from the same dogs.

A week later after the attack on Zoey, another dog owner came forward and said his dog had been involved in a similar attack by the same two dogs, and sent photos of the alleged attacking dogs to Zoey’s owner.

Zoey’s owner said Council Dog Control was continuing to investigate, but they needed more information.

Anyone who recognised the dogs or their owner in the supplied photos, or who knew where the dogs were usually exercised or kept, was urged to come forward with information and contact animal control.