WARNING: Graphic image of dog bite in story.

A brutal dog mauling that left three people injured was not an isolated event, but the culmination of years of warnings one victim says were repeatedly ignored.

“It’s a miracle no one was killed,” Nathan Pilkington said while reflecting on the day that left him with deep scars on his arms and legs.

Stacey Walker-Haturini, the owner of four dogs that attacked Pilkington, was convicted and sentenced to 180 hours’ community work in December.

Her sentencing came after a string of high-profile attacks throughout New Zealand in 2025.

The attacks were amid increasing safety concerns from members of the public.

In March, Kaiwaka turned into a scene of terror when Stacey Walker-Haturini’s four dogs broke loose, mauling a woman as she tried to fend them off. Pilkington rushed to help and was also bitten, and three victims required medical attention.

That same month, tragedy struck the Bay of Plenty when 4-year-old boy Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan was fatally attacked, his death sparking grief and renewed calls for tougher controls.

Days later, a 79-year-old man was mauled in Gate Pā reserve, leaving his elbow shattered. The Bay of Plenty council in December also reported complaints about roaming dogs had risen 80%.

Meanwhile, in Auckland there were 1341 reports of people being attacked by dogs during a single financial year.

In the courts, Abel Wira was found guilty of manslaughter after his 23 dogs killed Neville Thomson, of Panguru. It was a landmark conviction in that no one has been jailed for manslaughter for a fatal dog attack in New Zealand before.

In some of the cases, such as Wira’s, there had been earlier concerns about the dogs.

Thomson’s children told NZME after he was found guilty that more needs to be done to monitor dog control, and Wira’s manslaughter conviction should be an opportunity for New Zealand to do better.

“I feel it wasn’t a matter of if someone was going to get hurt, it was a matter of when. And that was our dad. If it wasn’t him, it would be a different family sitting here,” his daughter, Nataria, said.

“This is a great opportunity for New Zealand as a whole to take better care. You should have to take a series of checks before you say, ‘I want to be a dog owner’.”

Abel Wira in the High Court at Whangārei during his trial for the manslaughter of Neville Thomson (inset).

‘Warning signs for years’

Pilkington, who was attacked by Walker-Haturini’s dogs in the Kaipara, told NZME his attack came after years of ignored warnings, and neighbours had long feared there would be a tragedy.

“For me personally, the biggest impact has been the frustration of seeing the warning signs for years, but being unable to do anything until people were physically harmed,” he said.

Pilkington said in 2022, he had intervened in another attack the dogs unleashed on the neighbour’s goats.

One animal was left so badly injured that it required thousands of dollars in veterinary care.

Nathan Pilkington says even though the dogs have been destroyed and the tenants have moved on, a sense of unease remains in the community. Photo / Nathan Pilkington

Pilkington said the incident was reported to the landlord, but no action followed and from then on, the dogs were a regular sight roaming the area. Several neighbours also reported the pack had lunged at them over the years.

“That set the scene for what happened next,” he said.

“It’s a miracle no one was killed.”

The bites left deep scars across his arms and legs and one tore into his right knee, damaging his medial collateral ligament.

The injury has robbed him of everyday freedoms – training at the gym, practising ju-jitsu, even simple movement without pain.

“I’ve had to cover thousands of my own extensive medical bills and take time off work to recover,” Pilkington said.

The landlord did not respond to NZME’s request for comment.

‘Visibly on edge’

Pilkington said although the dogs had been destroyed and the tenants had moved on, a sense of unease remained in the community.

“The neighbourhood has been deeply affected. People are now visibly on edge when they see unfamiliar dogs in public, something that never used to be the case,” he said.

Pilkington noted there was a lack of empathy shown by the dog owners but also points to the role of the landlord, who he says had been alerted to the dangers as far back as 2022, but failed to act.

“He has never once reached out to any of the victims,” Pilkington says.

“When you’re a property owner, the safety of the surrounding community has to matter.”

The dogs attacked Pilkington as he tried to help the first victim. Photo / Nathan Pilkington

Nathan Pilkington suffered several wounds inflicted by four dogs when he tried to intervene during an attack. Photo / Nathan Pilkington

A Kaipara District Council spokesperson said in a statement issued to NZME it received four complaints about the dogs at the property that resulted in site visits, two requiring police back-up.

They said the council carried out several patrols in Settlement Rd during December 2024 and in January this year, and had an officer working with the dog owner to reduce risk.

“We have a very small but passionate team covering the whole of Kaipara and in our role, we deal with a wide range of owners and dogs daily, often in complex and challenging situations.”

“While dog owners are ultimately responsible for their dogs’ behaviour, we know Animal Management plays an important role in managing risk within the community.”

‘Dog attacks reduced’

The council said the team’s strong approach to working on the risks of wandering dogs had reduced the number of complaints received.

“We are proud to report that Kaipara district’s wandering dog complaints have fallen by 65% and dog attacks have reduced by 43% year on year.

“Even more encouraging, in the first six months of the 2025-26 registration year, not a single dog attack has been reported in the Mangawhai area, a significant achievement given that Mangawhai was the highest-reported-risk area for dog-versus-person attacks in the Kaipara in 2024-25.”

New Zealand Property Investors Federation advocacy manager Matt Ball said the council’s response highlighted enforcement by the appropriate authorities was the most effective solution to dog problems.

“We do not recommend that landlords put themselves or their agents at risk by tackling such matters on their own. Nor should this issue be left to landlords to deal with alone. Even if the landlord can evict the tenant (a costly and time-consuming process), it simply shifts the problem to another location,” Ball said.

“If approached by neighbours with concerns about dogs living at a rental property, we recommend that landlords contact their local Animal Control service. They have the legal power to take action.”

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.