Source: Radio New Zealand
Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by dogs at a Kaihu property. Supplied
A service for the women killed by a pack of dogs in Northland is being held on Saturday.
Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed while visiting a property in the rural town of Kaihu, north of Dargaville.
Police said the three dogs involved lived at the property.
She was the third person to be killed by dogs in Northland in the past four years, sparking calls for more to be done by local and central government to deal with the growing problem.
In a post on social media, Te Rore was described as someone who lived with courage and conviction, and stood up for those she loved.
“Her presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her,” the post said.
“A fierce and loving woman, she was the unwavering strength of our whānau and the steady light in our lives. Her love was powerful, protective, and unconditional.”
Meanwhile, police said were continuing to investigate, but no charges had been laid.
Council visited property before fatal attack
In a statement, Kaipara District Council said there had been four complaints about the dogs in November, December and last week, and had responded to each request on the same day.
Staff visited the property to uplift the dogs the day prior to the attack, but were unsuccessful.
“Staff visited the property on multiple occasions to attempt to speak to the owner, including reaching out to family and iwi liaison. When the dogs were seen they were on the property.
“In December staff managed to speak with the owner about compliance and keeping the dogs secure, including consequences if this did not occur. In February they visited the property twice, including the day before, but were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.”
The council said there had also been “multiple” proactive patrols in the area, looking for any loose dogs, including a door knock of every property along Kaihu Wood Rd (no loose dogs were sighted during these patrols).
“Dog owners are responsible for their dogs – they have a legal responsibility to look after and control their animals but we also acknowledge that council’s animal control plays an important role in managing risks in the community.
“Our staff work with dog owners across the district every single day and are devastated that any such incident, in this case on private property, has occurred in Kaipara.”
It said its animal management team was investigating the incident.
“The three dogs were secured after the event and have been impounded, and will be destroyed as soon as police have finished their investigation.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand