Devonport locals warned to be wary of stray pitbull-cross dog

Police are warning the public to be wary of a stray dog that bit 3 people in Devonport yesterday, and is yet to be caught.

The pitbull-cross latched onto the sleeve of a man yesterday morning as he exited the toilets in Bayswater Park. He was already recovering from a dislocated shoulder and as he yanked his arm away from the dog, dislocated his shoulder again. He yelled at the dog and it ran away.

Around an hour or so later as another man exited the toilets, the dog bit him on the foot, fortunately he had steel-capped boots on and was uninjured.

Not long after, an 8 year-old boy who was playing tag with this friends was bitten on the calf. He was treated at the scene by ambulance staff for puncture wounds and then taken to the doctor by his family to get a tetanus shot.

Police and Auckland Council Animal Control officers attempted to catch the dog, however it ran into a large cemetry area surrounded by mangroves, and despite searching for most of yesterday and again this morning, the dog has not been found.

Enquiries with several owners of dogs in that area that fit the description have ruled their animals out.

Police and Animal Control believe the dog has been abandoned in the area. All 3 attacks happened in the toilet area of Bayswater Park, next to the children's playground.

Anyone who sees a dog fitting the below description in the Bayswater Park/Devonport areas is advised to stay away from it, and to contact Animal Control at Auckland Council on 09 301 01 01, or call Police.

The dog is described as the following;

-Young pitbull cross, around 2 to 3 years old.

-Tan- coloured with a cream chest, tan and cream markings on the head.

-No collar.

ENDS

© Scoop Media