A police officer has suffered injuries to his entire body after a man assaulted the officer then set his dog on him outside a Winz office.
Police said the officer was called to the Foxton Work and Income office about 11.30am today after reports of a man causing issues.
When the officer arrived a 40-year-old man was outside the office. When the man was approached he became aggressive, police said.
The officer pepper sprayed the man and his dog, but it did not work, so the man punched the officer then set his dog on him.
The officer was pulled to the ground by the dog but managed to call for back up.
He suffered moderate to serious injuries to his entire body during the attack, and was now receiving medical treatment.
Following the attack the man and his dog left the scene in a vehicle, police said.
When police signalled for the man to pull over, he fled to a house in Bainesse.
When officers arrived at the property they were confronted by the man who was wielding a metal bar and displaying threatening behaviour, police said.
Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said police were rallying around the officer who was doing his job when he were "viciously assaulted".
"This appalling and unprovoked attack on this skilled and valued officer shows the volatile nature of our work and how incidents we attend can quickly escalate."
Officers were speaking to a number of witnesses, he said.
Mr Bensemann said the man was in police custody and would face a number of charges.
His dog was seized by local animal control.
