The warning came from the Dunedin City Council after Thomas O'Neill was yesterday sentenced to 150 hours' community service and ordered to pay $8000 reparation, on top of $2000 he has already paid.
The victim of the attack called the amount "a pittance''.
"I don't think it's fair reparation, $8000, after what the dogs have done to me.
"I'm still suffering; I'm still in a lot of pain.''
O'Neill walked quickly to his car after the sentencing, shielded from the media by a phalanx of supporters.
The council, which brought the prosecution, said the sentencing made it clear owning a dog was a serious responsibility.
Environmental health and animal services manager Ros MacGill said dog owners needed to be aware of the inherent risk associated with their animals, "no matter what their breed, character or training''.
"This distressing situation shows how important it is for owners to anticipate and respond to unexpected behaviour from their dogs."
O'Neill, a 47-year-old builder, was the owner of the wolfhounds.
Last December he was walking his dogs, Sun Bear, TuTu and Sorcha, on leashes in Walter St. The victim was delivering the Otago Daily Times, and crossed the road to the same side as the defendant.
When she passed the defendant she said something to the dogs like "hello dogs'', and waved her arm, the court heard.
A male wolfhound attacked her without warning, and the two female dogs joined in.
The victim suffered lacerations down to the bone in her leg and lost tissue and muscle before O'Neill got the dogs under control and went to her aid.
The dogs were put down shortly after the attack.
Judge Kevin Phillips said the victim had been ‘‘screaming for help'', and had spent two weeks in hospital.
He said she had to sell a home she inherited and had limited job prospects.
"It's been totally life-changing for her.''
O'Neill's counsel, Anne Stevens, said he had been exercising the dogs in the same way for three years, and they had never exhibited such behaviour.
"He had no reason to expect they would behave in this way.''
Mrs Stevens said the attack differed from those by more menacing dogs that had occurred recently, and where dogs were unleashed and running wild in a public park.
The dogs were family pets who played safely with the defendant's children.
But Judge Phillips said that had been in a family home.
He said the dogs were not called wolfhounds "as a throwaway name''.
They were well trained and cared for, but had an inherent pack mentality.
While the defendant had an unblemished character, was a hard worker and a family man, "this isn't about that''.
He was distracted at the time of the event, but had not been in sufficient control.
Judge Phillips said it was O'Neill's responsibility to have the dogs under control.
Taking three large dogs walking together had "an inherent risk''.
"I have no doubt this is a serious case of its kind.''
Judge Phillips said if O'Neill had considered the issue "in an objective way'' he would have realised the potential danger of what he was doing.
Before sentencing him to community work, he told O'Neill he was not prepared just to impose reparation as a penalty.
"I consider you should be giving something back to the community you endangered by taking these dogs on to the street.''
The victim, who was given permanent name suppression yesterday, said she was "still very traumatised''.
"It's going to take a while to get better.''
The $10,000 reparation did not cover her financial loss from the event, she said.
"It's a lot more than that, I'm afraid.''
