A woman who died after she was attacked by three dogs in Northland yesterday has been formally named by police.
She was Mihiata Te Rore, 62, from Kaihū.
Emergency services were called to a property on State Highway 12 in Kaihū following reports of a dog attack around 11.25am, where she was found dead.
Police had notified her next of kin.
Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer today said the incident was a "very upsetting and tragic event in which a woman has suffered unsurvivable injuries".
"I know the community will have a lot of questions; our investigation is still in the early stages and our focus is on establishing all the facts in this case.
"What we can say is that the three dogs involved live on the property, and the woman was visiting a person known to her when the attack occurred."
Pilmer said the three dogs were currently with animal management.
"As part of our investigation, we would like to hear from anyone in the Kaihū community who has had issues with dogs roaming in the area," he said.
Severe punishment needed for 'homicidal dogs'
Earlier today, Cabinet minister Shane Jones said he wanted a “very severe level of punishment” for owners of what he called “homicidal dogs”.
Northland-based Jones told RNZ roaming dogs had been plaguing the region for “years”.
“Sadly, very few of the owners of these dogs are held accountable to a level that acts as a deterrent,” he said.
“When I grew up in Awanui, if there were wild and dangerous dogs around, my father’s generation just shot them. That was the end of that problem.
“This culture is going to get worse and worse.
“We’re talking about animals that cause you to either wander around with a big stick or avoid going to certain parts of the community.”
He wanted to see the owners stripped of their right to own animals, and if necessary, face a “severe jail term”.
“They resent being told to tie their dogs up, they never ever get them registered, they resent being challenged by their neighbours or other elements in the community… We have to rely on the powers of the state."
Bay of Islands Whangaroa Board member Roddy Pihema lost a relative to a dog attack in 2023 and has been working with his community to find solutions.
Roddy Pihema spoke to Breakfast about the issue of dogs, in the wake of yesterday’s fatal attack. (Source: Breakfast)
In a statement, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said the Department of Internal Affairs was “continuing work on several approaches to support better dog control, including improving the quality and consistency of national dog-related data”.
"The Department is also working with the local government sector to refresh and improve dog control enforcement guidelines. This work will ensure consistent enforcement across New Zealand, and updated guidelines are expected to be issued by the beginning of Quarter 3, 2026."
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