Kerry Kawe says he is "a man on a mission'' after two small dogs were killed by larger dogs, a man was chased, a woman had her hand bitten by a dog and several reports of large dogs wandering unrestrained in Invercargill over the past few days.
The incidents occurred in neighbouring northeastern suburbs between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday evening and might have involved the same two dogs, a Rottweiler and a German shepherd, Mr Kawe, the Invercargill City Council (ICC) animal services compliance team leader, said.
"These events could be coincidence, and the same two dogs might not be involved. But I want to find any wandering dogs and pick them up. After so many incidents in a short time there is a sense of urgency.''
The city council had introduced a digital mapping system to pinpoint problem properties and try to track down unregistered dogs, but Mr Kawe said a Rottweiler and German shepherd "had not come up on our radar''.
Yesterday, he appealed for help from the public.
"The more eyes on the street, the more it helps us.''
On Tuesday, about 4pm, a Chihuahua was attacked and killed by two dogs believed to be a Rottweiler and a German shepherd in Lithgow St, Glengarry, he said.
Early the next day, in Bamborough St, Richmond, a man was chased by two dogs described as Rottweilers.
On Thursday, a Rottweiler and German shepherd were spotted roaming in Yarrow St, Richmond, and about 6pm a Bichon Frise dog was attacked and killed in Mary St, Richmond, by two dogs, and its female owner bitten on the hand.
Mr Kawe said she was taken to hospital and later discharged.
Both she and the owner of the Chihuahua were understandably distressed about the loss of their pets, he said.
Mr Kawe said he and another animal control officer patrolled the streets for several hours on Thursday night but could not find the dogs. Patrols would be increased over the next few days.
In January last year, two women walking in South Invercargill were knocked to the footpath and bitten by two large mastiff-type dogs which had escaped from a residential property.
The dogs were euthanised and the owner prosecuted.
A few days later a woman was bitten by a dog in Lithgow St, and a courier driver was bitten by a mastiff-cross dog which jumped out of the open window of a house in Anglem St, South Invercargill.
Mr Kawe said there had been no serious incidents involving dogs in the past six months.
