On February 15th 2024, my blue American Staffordshire Stormy was at Paremoremo Sanders Reserve where there is an “off- leash dog park” quoted by their website. Their fence towards the other side of the dog park was unstable with parks of the fence being broken and parks not even having wire. This dog park is backed onto a horse paddock. With us following the dogs having a good time interacting with other dogs, my two dogs and another owner’s dog got through the fence into the horse paddock. There were 2 horses. By time we got there we saw a dog chasing a horse and the horse turning and chasing our dog. The other horse on the other side of the paddock was standing up and did not move but for some unknown reason that horse was put down. Stormy was in critical care for over a week causing us to spend $7,000 in vet bills to keep stormy alive after she vomited blood and couldn't walk. She is still continuing to heal at home even now. My mother was affected in this fight physically as she had to jump from the horse and try save our dogs. The council said this is the first incident where both parties were affected. This resulted in the pound putting both our dogs on “bail” where they aren’t allowed to go outside. We had to fight to take them for walks as it's against animal rights for them to not go outside. 

Due to stormy's past with flying over to New Zealand from Australia twice she has a trauma response to loud noises including vaccums, trucks, other dogs barking and clearly horse sounds.

Currently, Auckland Council has sent a document saying Stormy and ourselves are being sent to court. They have recently updated all the fences because of this incident but have left the old fences behind. They are trying to say we are unfit to have our dog due to it's breed when we have done everything they have said including buying a cat, protective harnesses, leads and muzzles, buliding a fence and taking them for long walks (like we did at the off leash dog park so they can have a good run). Although she has escaped from home on several attempts she has never hurt any animal or person ever before and when we pick her up whoever has found her said she is a beautiful dog. 

Due to Stormy’s breed we believe they will fight very hard to get her put down. She is 6 years old and very good with children, our cat and other dogs. This one time incident may result in stormy’s well lived life as well as my mother getting a conviction. 

We are wanting to act on this now so the courts know that stormy is well behaved with family and friends as well as other animals. Your help would be appreciated by signing or commenting.