The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) has expressed disappointment with Tauranga Moana District Court's decision on a dog attack on a Bay of Plenty veterinarian.
Photo: SunLive
Dr Liza Schneider was attending a client's dog in the Holistic Vets carpark in October last year when the dog broke out of the leash and attacked the veterinarian.
Schneider had gone through surgery for torn muscles and a broken bone in her arm.
The city council had charged Helen Tina Fraser with owning a dog that caused an injury, but Tauranga Moana District Court's ruled today the dog's owner will not be prosecuted and the dog will not be put down.
NZVA chief executive Kevin Bryant said even though the risk of attacks was common, the decision made it very clear that under no circumstances should vets risk their safety when treating an animal.
"Veterinarians are highly trained professionals who take a wide range of precautions to protect themselves and their teams. When the animal is not known by the vet, it increases the risk, hence why it was requested to the animal to be seen in the carpark instead of inside the clinic."
Bryant said the ruling was likely to make vets even more cautious.
"The case is a sombre reminder of the dangers veterinarians face in their work."
The decision implicitly blamed the veterinarian for the dog's behaviour, he said.
"At the end of the day what we have here is a case here of a veterinarian who was seriously injured by a dog that was not appropriately controlled."
Bryant said all owners played a critical role in socialising their pets and taking steps to prevent attacks from happening.
"Safe dog ownership starts with training dogs to prevent them from biting and harming people. Dog attacks are devastating for everyone involved. While vets love the work they do, the job can be incredibly difficult in situations like these."
Through a statement, the Tauranga Council said it had received the court's decision and would be taking some time to review it.
Environmental regulation manager Nigel McGlone said the dog was released to its owner yesterday and the decision to prosecute a dog owner was not taken lightly.
McGlone said this kind of step was only taken on the most severe matters and in this instance it believed it was appropriate given the seriousness of the attack.