The recent death of a 4-year-old child in a dog attack near Katikati in Bay of Plenty has left the family and community shocked and heartbroken.

The dogs linked to the preschooler’s death have been euthanised and police continue to investigate the incident.

Animal experts have expressed concern that dog attacks appear to be on the rise, calling on people to educate themselves and their children to prevent such incidents.

About 28,000 dog-related injuries were recorded in New Zealand last year, with nearly 3000 of those involving children under 15, Auckland emergency specialist doctor Natasha Duncan-Sutherland told RNZ’s Checkpoint earlier this week.

About half of those dog-related injuries involved bites, she said.

Duncan-Sutherland said things appeared to be getting worse, noting that nearly 20,000 dog-related injuries were recorded in the country 10 years ago.

“They’re definitely increasing over time,” she said.

“For example, you are now eight times more likely to be hospitalised for a dog bite injury than you were 40 years ago.”

Jo Clough, founder and director at Dog Safe Workplace, a dog safety training provider, said the reality was possibly worse, noting that less than 20% of all cases are typically reported.

Clough said it was not always an aggressive bite that was problematic.

A dog that was overly excited and playful could be equally dangerous, she said.

Jo Clough, founder and director at Dog Safe Workplace.

“It can happen at any time in any place if you’re not behaving appropriately,” she said.

Adults should never leave children alone with a dog, and owners should also learn to give their dog space and avoid forcing them to engage with others if they didn’t want to, she said.

It was best to pet a dog on its side and back, Clough said, noting that it wasn’t advisable to touch a dog anywhere around the face or head.

She also advised people to refrain from holding out a hand in front of a dog’s face to smell.

“We all do it,” she said.

“We’ve been told to do it for years, but a lot of research shows you don’t need to do it.

“Dogs have 300 million olfactory sensors in their nose. They’ve smelt you before you’ve gone anywhere near them.

“So, if you want to engage with the dog, let the dog come up to you.”

When a dog approaches, Clough said it was best for a person feeling threatened to refrain from waving their arms around.

Instead, it was better to position something between themself and the dog - for example, a handbag that person was carrying or a bicycle they were riding - to protect themself from bites.

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said many dog-related injuries were preventable.

Aaron Neary is a proactive animal management team leader at Auckland Council.

“Most dog-related injuries happen to children in a person’s own home, or at the home of relative’s or a friend’s by a dog that they know,” Whitaker said.

“You should be extra careful with toddlers and very careful with school-aged children and teach them how to play with and around dogs, at a pace they can handle.

“You should never leave a child unattended with a dog,” he said.

“No matter what age you are, if you see someone with a dog and you don’t know it, ask the person if you can pat it,” Whitaker said.

In February, two people were seriously injured in a dog attack at a property in Manurewa in South Auckland.

Aaron Neary, proactive animal management team leader at Auckland Council, said dog attacks had been steadily increasing in Auckland in recent years.

“Any dog can bite,” Neary said.

There are more than 130,000 known dogs in Auckland, with many more dogs unregistered, he said.

Neary said modern living conditions in dense urban areas where people were living at close quarters with poor fencing meant that dogs could more easily escape properties and roam streets.

“That’s where we’re going to get those in those more negative interactions,” he said.

Neary called on residents to report roaming dogs whenever they came across one so the council could act accordingly.

“And for dog owners, just keep your dogs contained and get them desexed,” he said. “If you’re keeping them contained, you’re reducing that risk of them negatively interacting with people. You’re reducing the risk of them attacking.”

Clough and her organisation are promoting an event called “Dog Bite Prevention Week”, which is observed in countries such as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The week in New Zealand starts on April 7.

Top tips to avoid dog bites

• Never approach a dog that is alone
• Always ask, ‘May I pat your dog?
• Do not run towards a dog and don’t bark or growl at them
• Never run from a dog
• Don’t pat the head or chest
• Never leave children or toddlers unattended near dogs
• You must be confident of calling a dog back before letting it off a lead
• “Stand like a tree” around loose dogs
• Teach family members how to behave around a dog - don’t let a child poke or prod them or try sitting on them.

More tips from Auckland Council can be found here.

-RNZ