A Kaiata woman was bitten yesterday when she tried to intervene in a fight between her dog and a pitbull terrier which had wandered from a nearby property.
Police said the pitbull owner had been fined $200 and warned by Grey District Council dog control officers.
The woman required medical attention after she tried to break up the dog fight, which occurred on her property.
Dog control officer Murray Malloch said the woman put her hand down to try to separate the two dogs and was bitten, suffering puncture wounds.
"She doesn't know which dog bit her," Mr Malloch said.
Mr Malloch said the dog owners were co-operative and the incident was unusual given the history of both dogs.
"We don't know what attracted the [pitbull] dog to go outside its property."
The pitbull owner had been fined for having an uncontrolled dog.
However, Mr Malloch said the incident highlighted the complexity around dog behaviour and the inherent dangers. He cited an incident on Tuesday in which a man suffered "quite graphic" bite injuries from his own pet.
The man had signed over his own dog to be destroyed.
"We don't know what triggered the incident, but he sustained bad, bad wounds and had to go to hospital," Mr Malloch said.
Brendon McMahon of the Greymouth Star
