Dog attack on Russell Terrace around 5:45pm Monday 10th July - witnesses please!
Hi neighbours
I was walking my golden retriever George on leash yesterday evening, with a friend and her small dogs. We went up Russell Terrace on the footpath, past Newtown Park, and were heading towards the council access road to the skatepark, back of the zoo, and athletic track. There was a station wagon / van with an open sliding door parked up in the gravel park by the skate park, a tan pitbull in the van saw us from a distance and took off for us like a rocket. It immediately attacked my dog, latching onto his neck. I attempted to block, kick it off etc. Every time George shook it off him it would dive back in and latch on again.
I was pushed back into the street, while still hanging onto George's leash and trying to rotate them to get myself between them. The owner showed up and couldn't get hold of his dog who was 100% committed to the attack. By then I'd been knocked onto my back with both dogs on top of me, and the man on top of his dog trying to pin it. He eventually managed to get it off and half dragged it back to his vehicle, threw it in and drove off.
On the positive, entirely miraculously I didn't get bitten but am quite banged up from being thrown to the ground. George has some minor scrapes and a puncture in his ear and is still tense and shaken. He was wearing a thick collar, an LED lighting collar, a scarf and his leash. The pitbull was fixated on his neck which was protected by all his gear. So although it locked on his neck there were no punctures. George is a big strong boy and managed to keep on his feet.
A number of very kind people stopped cars and bikes while this was happening. One got the car registration. It's been reported to the police and also to animal control who are trying to track down the driver and have asked if the witnesses would mind coming forward. We were too shaken to take your details. The fact that it came after us from a distance, attack was both completely unprovoked and sustained is worrying to them. Can you either DM me or message me below if you witnessed this! It was a dark grey kinda station wagon / van thing with a sliding door. Registration BQB816. The dog was a mid size tan pitbull.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.5% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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