Western Bay of Plenty District Council has today confirmed that all three of the dogs that were removed from a Tuapiro property following the tragic death of four-year-old Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan on Friday afternoon have been euthanised.
“At approximately 3.45pm on Friday 28 March, our Animal Services team was contacted by NZ Police to assist with an urgent response to a dog attack at a property north of Katikati, in the Tuapiro area,” said Western Bay of Plenty District Council General Manager Regulatory Services, Alison Curtis.
“Our officers responded promptly and removed three adult dogs from the property. The owner signed the dogs over to Council custody, and all three of the dogs were euthanised on Monday afternoon.
“At this stage, we have not yet fully confirmed the primary breeds of the dogs involved. We’re taking a cautious and responsible approach — and will release this information once we’re confident it’s accurate.”
The Council described Friday’s incident as an “absolute tragedy”.
The owner of the three dogs signed them over to the council’s custody following the attack.
“Our thoughts are with the whānau who are now facing an unimaginable loss.”
“Our team has acted professionally and with great care in extremely difficult circumstances, and I want to acknowledge their efforts in supporting the Police and helping ensure there is no further public safety risk. We will continue to support the Police as they lead the investigation.
Police were called to the Tuapiro property at around 2.50pm on Friday after receiving a report that two people had sustained dog bite injuries.
“One person was transported the Katikati Medical Centre in a critical condition, where sadly they died a short time later,” Police confirmed in a statement.
“Another person received moderate injuries and was transported to hospital, where they remain.”
News of the dogs’ euthanasia comes as the family of Timothy gather at a Waihī Beach marae in preparation for his funeral tomorrow.
