The child was bitten by Tank, her uncle’s 9-year-old American bulldog cross, on Christmas Eve, a council report said.
She was hospitalised for three days and needed reconstructive surgery. She now lives with permanent facial scarring and a fear of dogs.
The dog is owned by her uncle, Kane Cochran. The attack happened when he was staying with his twin sister in Tauranga while waiting to move into a new rental in Rotorua.
The two parties claimed differing versions of the incident, which was not reported to animal control authorities until five months later.
In August last year, Rotorua Lakes Council classified Tank as dangerous, a decision Cochran appealed before the council’s Dog Control Panel.
The victim’s mother only became aware of the appeal after being contacted by Local Democracy Reporting.
Speaking on the condition she and her daughter were not named, she said she already felt “let down” by the original decision.
“I wanted the dog destroyed,” she said. “I didn’t want it to happen to another child.”
She said the attack had taken a massive physical and emotional toll on her daughter, who still struggles to smile or open her mouth fully to brush her teeth.
“Her being bitten wasn’t like a little nip,” she said. “It was a vicious latch on to the face.”
The 6-year-old was bitten by Tank, her uncle’s 9-year-old American bulldog cross, on Christmas Eve. Photo / Supplied
She said the incident also traumatised her other children, who witnessed the attack.
She said the delay in reporting was in part because of a “miscommunication” over whether the hospital had formally notified authorities, as well as it being a difficult family situation.
She rejected Cochran’s claim her children had tormented the dog, saying their behaviour was no more than normal play.
“There’s no excuse,” she said. “My daughter’s life is far more important than that dog.”
Cochran’s mother spoke on his behalf when he appeared before the panel, disputing he had responsibility for the attack.
They maintained the child provoked Tank, described as a “big softie”.
The panel rejected the appeal. Tank must now be neutered, kept under stricter public control, housed behind more secure fencing and registered at a higher cost.
Why council did not seek destruction order
Tauranga City Council investigated the attack, animal services team leader Oscar Glossop confirmed.
He said a destruction order was not pursued due to changed circumstances, delayed reporting and a lack of police involvement.
“When our investigation began, we found the dog and its owner were no longer living with the victim.”
The situation had “changed significantly” since the attack, he said.
Late reporting limited council action, and destruction orders “can only be made by the court following a successful prosecution”, he said.
After reviewing the case, Glossop said they found the evidence did not meet the Solicitor-General’s Prosecution Guidelines.
“Without sufficient evidence to support a prosecution, seeking a destruction order was not legally possible.
“When incidents aren’t reported at the time they occur, it limits the steps our Animal Services team can take.”
The 6-year-old was bitten by Tank, her uncle’s 9-year-old American bulldog cross, on Christmas Eve. Photo / Supplied
He said his first thoughts were with the young girl.
“No one should have to experience something like this in our city,” Glossop said.
The council was “reviewing” its processes on dog attacks, and he understood a lack of prosecution could be “upsetting” to victims.
He was confident the dangerous dog classification would be sufficient to ensure the dog posed no threat to the public.
Both the Tauranga and Rotorua councils would monitor the owner’s “compliance” with the conditions.
“Most dog owners do a great job,” Glossop said.
“But incidents like this are a reminder that all owners have a responsibility to keep their dogs securely contained and well-managed.”
Dog control in the spotlight
The Dog Control Act 1996 requires dogs that cause serious injury to be destroyed upon conviction of the owner, unless there are “exceptional” circumstances.
In 2023, a rottweiler named Chopper was put down following a two-year legal battle after an attack that left a vet with lifelong nerve damage and scarring.
On that occasion, Tauranga City Council appealed a previous decision to overturn a destruction order.
Police in Kaihu investigating the fatal Northland dog attack last month. Photo / Jason Dorday
Dog attacks have been in the national spotlight recently after Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed in an attack by three dogs in Northland last month and a Christchurch attack left three people injured, one critically.
These and other incidents have spurred calls for the Government to do more to stop dangerous dogs.
Four-year-old Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan was mauled to death in Katikati 12 months ago, while Elizabeth “Effie” Whittaker, 78, and Neville Thomson, 69, died in 2023 and 2022 respectively in separate Northland incidents.
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.