Hamilton Police will meet with City Council Animal Control staff today to determine what charges will be laid following the attack by an uncontrolled dog on an oversees visitor's seeing eye dog in the City yesterday.
North Hamilton Community Constable, Craig Berquist, said Police were called to 'The Base' shopping complex in Te Rapa about 1.15pm after reports of a guide dog being attacked.
"The matter is currently under investigation however initial indications are a group had travelled to the shopping centre in a car and some had gone shopping while the remainder stayed in the vehicle with the dog, by an open door.
"It appears the Staffordshire-cross animal noticed the 8-year-old Golden Labrador guide dog walking with its blind owner and her husband, who are visitors from Australia, and leapt from the car, attacking the lab."
Mr Berquist said the attacking dog's owner tried to pull the animal off the Labrador and got bitten a number of times, as did the blind woman's husband before the wounded guide dog and the lady he was trying to protect managed to take refuge in a nearby store.
"The injured dog was taken for treatment by a vet while the offending animal was seized by Dog Control officers.
"We will be meeting with the Council later today to identify the most appropriate charges to be laid. At this time we would like owners of dangerous dogs such as these to consider the wisdom of taking such animals to such a public spot, there was a small child in the vicinity of the attack who had to be lifted clear of the incident which could have turned out even worse."
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