Azaiah Clausen, now 7, was attacked by a dog at a motel room when he was three. Photo: Supplied
An Auckland mum, whose young son still bears the scars from being attacked by a dog a few years ago, is urging people to seriously consider safety advice.
Shayla Clausen, 32, remembers when her then three-year-old son was attacked by a dog at a motel they were housed in.
Clausen had left her son Azaiah in a neighbouring room, with a friend who said he could play with her kids while she supervised them.
"I went back upstairs, and during that time... not even like 5-10 minutes max of him being there, he was attacked by a dog."
Clausen said she didn't witness the attack, but when she ran to her son, he was covered in blood, with no adult supervising their play.
"Just the aftermath was horrendous."
Azaiah suffered skull and head wounds from the attack.
Azaiah suffered skull and head wounds from the attack. Photo: Supplied
She is sharing her story as part of Dog Bite Prevention Week which kicked off on April 7, and focuses on educating people about preventing dog bites.
According to Auckland Council, there have been 163 dog attacks on children under 16 years in the past two years.
There were 89 attacks from September 1 to December 31, 2024, and 75 attacks in the first three months of this year.
Manurewa, Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Henderson-Massey had the highest numbers recorded over the two-year period.
Council only started recording dog attacks on kids from September 2024.
Tamariki aged 0-9 are more likely to need hospitalisation following a dog attack, as they are most often bitten on the head, face or neck.
Council said most dog attacks on children were by the family pet or a friend's dog, so children must never be left by themselves around dogs, even if the dog is usually friendly.
Clausen said the dog attack traumatised her and her son.
Now at seven years old, and at primary school, Azaiah still bears the scars of his attack.
Clausen said she felt for the family of the four-year-old boy who was mauled to death by dogs in Bay of Plenty last week.
"My actual fear that I felt for my child after being attacked, has become reality for someone else now.
"He was a baby... and he's lost his life to a viscous attack to more than one dog. It's quite sad to see."
Clausen said dog owners should take more responsibility with their pets.
"For us, it's still pretty traumatising. I have this fear now that wasn't there before. I don't think we will ever get over it.
"Please keep an extra eye out on your dogs, because it's not always the animal's fault. Things need to change because it's not a nice thing to go through."
In ACC's latest report, there were 29,233 reported dog incidents last year in the country - up 46 percent since 2015.
In 2024, close to $34 million was paid out by ACC for incidents - an increase of 193 percent since 2015.
Women were more affected than men, with 17,763 reported incidents last year while men reported 11,457.
Tips for parents and guardians:
- Always keep young children and infants within arm's reach whenever a dog is around.
- Remind tamariki to stay calm and be gentle around dogs.
- Ask the owner's permission before letting a child pat their dog.
- Let dogs approach first and sniff the child. If the dog is friendly, encourage gentle pats on the body, not head.
- Watch out for signs the dog is scared or angry, like raised fur, growling, or ears pinned back, and separate your child from the dog if you see these.
- When introducing a baby to your whānau, allow the dog time to adjust, then introduce slowly on a leash and give lots of praise.
Don't let a child:
- Approach a dog first, let the dog sniff them.
- Touch or put their face close to the dog's face.
- Approach a dog first, let the dog sniff them.
- Touch or put their face close to the dog's face.
- Touch a dog while they are eating or playing with a bone.
- Startle or touch a sleeping dog.
- Run around or shout near a dog.
- Pull a dog's hair, tail or ears, or sit on it.
Tips for dog owners:
- Keep your dog under control at all times, especially around children.
- Keep your dog contained in a fenced-off area when at home, and never let them roam.
- If unfamiliar children or large groups are visiting, consider securing the dog in a quiet space away from the action.
- Give your dog plenty of care and attention, and make sure they're getting enough food, water and exercise.
- De-sex your dog. This will make them less aggressive and easier to train.
- Train your dog to feel comfortable around other pets and people.
- Register your dog as soon as you get it and renew this registration each year.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
