The whānau of a woman killed by a dog in the far north yesterday has started gathering in Moerewa as they begin to make sense of the incident.
The name of the woman, believed to be in her 70′s has not yet been released, but a statement by the whānau said they devastated by the tragic loss of a “dearly loved mother, nanny, aunty and well known whaea of the Moerewa community”.
Police and St John Ambulance were called to a Moerewa address around 4.40pm on Thursday afternoon. The woman was found dead when officers arrived, two others, understood to be the woman’s daughters received moderate injuries.
“No one would have expected such a tragedy in our community.
“This is not the time to lay blame anywhere, but a time to call for action, to keep all of our communities safe.”
Far North Area Commander Inspector Riki Whiu confirmed to NZME the dog belonged to the owners of the property and was not “roaming” as had been reported shortly after the attack.
It is believed the woman had intervened in a dog fight when one turned on her. The death has been referred the coroner.
“We are all here as a community to support our uncle and his whānau at this time,” the whānau statement said.
