THE FACTS
- Three dogs killed a woman in Northland.
- Two dogs attacked three people in Christchurch, leaving one fighting for their life.
- Both incidents have sparked calls for the country’s dog control laws to be updated.
Dogs are an important part of life in New Zealand.
They act as family pets, faithful companions to people on their own and play a critical role as support animals for people with disabilities or facing challenges.
In many cases, they are part of the family and bring joy to their owners, including children, and others around them. They teach young people responsibility and can help with mental and physical wellbeing.
They can be loving and gentle. But some are incredibly dangerous.
Dogs are back in the headlines this month for all the wrong reasons.
Three dogs killed a woman in Northland and two attacked three people in Christchurch, leaving one fighting for their life.
In the Northland attack, Mihiata Te Rore, 62, had been visiting someone she knew at a home on State Highway 12, Kaihu, on February 17, when the three dogs living at the address attacked her.
Emergency services were called at 11.25am and found her dead.
The dogs have been destroyed.
The Christchurch incident happened four days later when two pet American Bulldog cross dogs savaged a teenage boy and turned on their owner and the teen’s father, who was trying to save his son.
The father has critical injuries, the son has serious injuries, and the owner suffered minor injuries.
The father and son were visiting a friend at the property. A 40-year-old woman has been summoned to appear in court under the Dog Control Act.
These attacks have, naturally, shocked many people, but, of course, they are not the first and won’t be the last to happen in New Zealand.
There are countless dangerous dogs across our cities, towns and communities, and too often their owners have little to no control over them.
It is a fair bet that many readers will have had their own dog threatened or attacked in public, or know of other owners put in the same situation.
It can be a frightening experience.
Councils deal with incidents regularly. Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper says there has been an average of 16 attacks a month in the past calendar year.
Auckland Council impounded a record 10,214 dogs in the year to June 30, 2025. This is a 23% increase on the previous year.
These latest incidents have, rightly, sparked calls for more to be done about dog attacks.
In an excellent column for the NZ Herald, Auckland councillor Josephine Bartley makes a compelling argument for tougher laws.
She doesn’t mince her words either.
Bartley, chairwoman of the council’s regulatory and safety committee, often hears about “vicious” dog bite injuries, including “toddlers who will never smile in the same way again, adults whose limbs are so badly mauled they require amputation and older people whose bodies won’t heal like they used to”.
Bartley says the Dog Control Act 1996 has not had a substantial review in almost 30 years and is “no longer fit for purpose”. She predicts there will be more tragedies.
The SPCA believes there should be evidence-based law reform.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters believes owners of dogs that commit fatal attacks should be charged with manslaughter, claiming they are “facilitating murder”.
Northlander and Cabinet minister Shane Jones says there are “homicidal dogs” across the region. He wants “hefty” jail terms considered for owners.
The drums are beating. So, what’s being done about it?
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Act Party leader David Seymour have indicated they could support tougher penalties.
The Northern Advocate reports that Local Government Minister Simon Watts was expecting advice on options to address dog issues and provide better support for councils.
Change cannot come quickly enough. This Government needs to urgently review and update the law and ensure it is fit for purpose.
Of course, this will not fix the problem entirely because there will always be dangerous dogs and owners who fail to ensure their animals do not attack people.
But any improvements will at least go some way towards better protecting the public.