Former All White and current Wellington provincial football coach Stu Jacobs is nursing some gruesome wounds after being savaged by a dog while trying to stop it fighting another dog on a school field this afternoon.
Jacobs said he had been holding a coaching clinic for young children at Wellington's Rongotai College when he saw an unrestrained bullmastiff dog attack what appeared to be a labrador being walked on a leash.
He said he noticed the owner of the labrador was struggling with the situation so he went over and helped try to separate the animals, "and the rest was history".
Jacobs was driven to hospital and was left recovering tonight after getting 34 stitches during a three-hour operation.
He told NZPA the bullmastiff first latched onto his ankle and then switched to his forearm when he managed to free the ankle.
It then latched onto his thumb and shredded it before being brought under control.
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the bullmastiff was impounded and was initially going to be put down tomorrow, but had since had a "stay of execution" until authorities were sure exactly how the incident had played out.
The labrador was understood to have been taken to a vet for treatment.
Jacobs said he was in no doubt as to which animal was the aggressor. He said the bullmastiff had gone for the labrador and the attacking dog's owner had not appeared in any hurry to come and break up the fighting.
He said he would be loathe to see the bullmastiff back out among the public.
"My concern is if it had of been one of the little kiddies...they just wouldn't stand a chance. Dogs like this don't deserve to be walking about."
Jacobs said there were witnesses to the incident and was sure they would be able to give a clear account to investigating police of what happened.
Meanwhile, he said the mauling had left him with restricted muscle movement in his arm, but hoped his injuries would recover fully.
