Offers of help are pouring in for an elderly Northland man and his small dog, injured in a dog attack last Saturday.
Jim Morgan comforts his dog Sandy, which was attacked on the weekend. Photo: Debbie Beadle
Jim Morgan, 92, was walking his dog Sandy at the weekend when it was rushed and attacked by a stray dog near his home in Harold Street, Kaikohe.
Mr Morgan was knocked to the ground and bitten trying to protect his pet - which was badly mauled.
Whangarei's Northern Advocate said it had been inundated with calls from people wanting to help pay Mr Morgan's $700 vet bill after seeing photos of the pair in the paper.
The pair were saved by a neighbour who grabbed the American bulldog's collar and pulled it off.
The Far North District Council said the bulldog, which was registered, would be put down with its owner's consent.
Sandy was seriously injured in the attack. Photo: Debbie Beadle
Demands to better regulate dangerous dogs have been mounting after a pit bull terrier left a boy with serious injuries in South Auckland.
It was the fourth such attack in the area in a month.
The Association of Plastic Surgeons and local government representatives have been calling for a ban on pit bull-type dogs.
However, the SPCA and New Zealand Kennel Club have said such a ban would be impractical and unlikely to work.
The government ruled out such a ban, but was looking at tightening laws around dangerous dogs.
