A toddler bitten by a dog is recovering well from surgery.
The boy, aged three, was taken to the Coast Care Accident and Medical Centre in the Auckland suburb of Red Beach, near Orewa yesterday.
He was seen at the clinic, before being transferred to Middlemore Hospital.
He underwent surgery last night and was recovering well today, said a hospital spokeswoman.
"He's still in the hospital. He's comfortable and stable and all those good things.''
She said the toddler was in good spirits yesterday despite facing surgery.
"He was fine. He was running around like a normal kid.''
Middlemore Hospital is renowned for its work in reconstructive plastic surgery, and last year treated 65 children from around New Zealand for serious dog injuries.
A year-long research project by a Middlemore Hospital paediatric emergency charge nurse and dog behaviourist Donelle Whiu shows children under the age of nine are bitten most often.
Ms Whiu said younger victims were most likely to be bitten around the face and head, as that was the dog's face level.
The research also showed the dog-bite epicentre of Auckland was Manurewa.
Last year, ACC received almost 10,000 claims for dog attacks, costing about $4 million.
Auckland Council said it had a report of an incident involving a dog and was investigating.
