The Invercargill City Council has reached a decision over two dog attacks with one of the cases resulting in prosecution.

“We considered the views of the victims, the response of the dog owners, and the nature and severity of each attack before reaching a decision,” Chief Executive Richard King said

The Henderson Street incident, in which two women were attacked by two dogs, will result in three charges against the owner.

• The first charge is under Section 57 of the Dog Control Act 1996, where the attack did not appear to cause serious injury, and carries a potential fine not exceeding $3,000.
• The second is under Section 58 of the Act, where the attack did appear to have caused serious injury. A conviction under this section could result in a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years and/or a fine not exceeding $20,000.
• The third charge is under Section 53 of the Act, where both dogs were outside the property, and carries a potential fine not exceeding $3,000.

In the second case, the owner of a dog that attacked a courier driver on Anglem Street will be sent an infringement for “failure to keep a dog controlled or confined”, which carries a fine of $200.

“We evaluated these options against the Animal Control Institute’s ‘Dog Attack Protocol’, and we sought legal opinion,” Mr King said. “The files for both Henderson Street and Anglem Street are being prepared for court proceedings. The owners of the dogs have been notified of the Council’s decision.”