A man is recovering in hospital after being stabbed in the neck at a Lower Hutt pizza shop.

He was rushed to Wellington Hospital for surgery after the incident last night and is now in a stable condition.

A 41-year-old local man was tracked by police dogs and arrested shortly after.

Detective Senior Sergeant John van den Heuvel reports the motive is unclear at this stage.

"It appears they weren't known to one another. [They were] both customers at the time. We are currently speaking to witnesses to get the full account of the story."

He assures those who witnessed the attack are being spoken to and looked after.

"Not a very pleasant experience. We will ensure that the welfare of the witnesses as well as the victim of course are taken care of."