A Rotorua woman has survived a vicious dog attack that lasted two hours and left her with severe wounds to her forearms.
The grandmother, who is in her sixties, was attacked at home at the weekend by the Staffordshire-pitbull cross owned by her grandson.
Although he had moved out of her house, the woman had requested the three-year-old dog stay to keep her company.
Family members went to the woman's house when they couldn't contact her, and found her lying unconscious in the same room as the dog.
Animal control officer Kevin Coutts says statistics collected over the past five years by the Institute of Animal Control officers show the type is not safe.
"The pitbull type or cross represents 1.53% of the dog population in New Zealand. However they are responsible for 18% of the dog attacks on people.
"Those statistics speak for themselves, Yes, I believe we have a problem. So many people say to me, yes I trust my pitbull with my children. It's got to the stage where I'd say as long as it's your children, not mine."
Mr Coutts says the dog was destroyed on Tuesday morning.
