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A two-year-old child sustained life-threatening injuries in a horrific dog attack in March 2024.
The young boy was mauled by two dogs while playing in the front yard of his south Auckland home. The unprovoked and sustained attack left him with several serious wounds to his neck and head, and a fractured shoulder blade, requiring multiple surgeries and a prolonged hospital stay.
The dogs, two American Bulldogs roamed freely into the child’s yard and attacked him without warning.
Despite heroic efforts by bystanders and the victim’s mother, who physically lifted her child to safety, the dogs continued to attack. CCTV footage confirmed the brutality of the attack, which ended only when the dogs were forcibly removed and driven away by the owners’ relatives.
On 30 July 2024, the Auckland Council commenced a criminal prosecution against the owner, laying two charges for owning dogs that attacked a person causing serious injury.
Last week in the Manukau District Court, Judge Moala sentenced the owner, Ms Janna Faumui who had pleaded guilty to the charges, to 150 hours of community work and ordered her to pay $2,000 in emotional harm reparation to the victim’s family.
Judge Moala considered that where the victim of a dog attack has suffered near-fatal injuries, the starting point for sentence is likely to be one of imprisonment.
However, the Judge did not consider imprisonment was appropriate in this case given the defendant’s lack of criminal history and there being no indication she was a danger to the community. The defendant was given credit for her early guilty pleas, her lack of conviction history and the remorse she had shown for the offending.
Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley expressed heartfelt concern for the toddler.
“It is not okay for dogs to be roaming or uncontrolled. The trauma and injuries inflicted on this child were horrific and entirely preventable,” she said.
“Dog owners must understand their responsibilities. This is not optional. If they fail in those duties, we will not hesitate to prosecute.”
Auckland Council’s General Manager of Licensing and Compliance, Robert Irvine, says this is another devastating example of the serious consequences of roaming dogs in our city.
“We commend the bravery of the bystanders who tried to intervene in the attack,” said Mr Irvine.
“No one should ever have to witness such violence, especially a parent.”
“We have increased the number of Animal Management Officers and their proactive patrolling in high-risk areas, and we are doing all we can to prevent incidences like this from happening, but we can’t be everywhere all the time. We need dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs, keep them contained and not allow them to roam,” adds Irvine.
The council has confirmed both dogs were voluntarily surrendered and euthanised following the attack.
Auckland Council urges all dog owners to ensure their pets are secure, well-trained, and never allowed to roam.
“One moment of negligence can result in a lifetime of pain,” says Mr Irvine.
Further case highlights dangers of careless dog ownership
In a separate case in the Manukau District Court, Maxine Hona was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and ordered to pay $200 in emotional harm reparation after her dog, Otis, seriously attacked a visitor in her home in March 2024.
Despite Ms Hona’s attempt to contain her dog before allowing the victim inside, it escaped and launched a persistent attack, injuring both the visitor and Ms Hona herself.
The court rejected arguments that this was an exceptional incident and made an order for the dog’s destruction.
Judge Patel stressed that even one-off failures to control dogs can have devastating consequences.
This case reinforces Auckland Council’s message: pet ownership comes with absolute responsibility. There is no margin for error when it comes to public safety.
