Women recalls terrifying moment swimmers 'threaten to drown her dog'

A woman says she and her dog have been traumatised by a group of men at the beach who she claims threatened to drown her pet.

The English bulldog owner said she was peacefully walking him along St Heliers Bay beach in Auckland on Tuesday while watching the sun rise. “The sun was coming up, I thought it was nice to stop and watch," she said to the New Zealand Herald.

She said three people were swimming in the water and given the environment it didn't seem out of the ordinary. However suddenly one of them started beckoning the dog to the water. She said to the Herald one of the men started shouting Mongrel Mob gang slogans at her. “One of the men told another to run up and grab my dog, to drag him out to them so they could drown him," she said.

The woman said one man ran to the shore, called her dog by name and tried to get hold of him, the Herald reported.

"By this point, my dog was aggressively barking at the man who was trying to attack him," the woman said.

Not wanting her pet to be snatched and drowned, she ran after him. “I ran to my dog’s rescue (who had) launched at the man trying to get a hold of him. He heard me yelling, and he turned and ran out of the water. The man also quickly ran back into the water to his friends," she reportedly said.

The woman grabbed the dog as he ran to her and brought him to the safety of her car. “I was very shaken. My poor dog has been seeking support from his teddy bear after the ordeal he went through," she said.

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The attack has been reported to police, and investigations are ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call them or NZ Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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