More than 1800 dog attacks were recorded between 2016 and 2017 (file photo).

Five dog attacks are reported on average in Auckland every day.

There were 1875 dog attacks on humans or animals in the year ending June 2017 - 81 more attacks than the previous year.

Of these, 816 attacks were reported against people, according to Auckland Council's animal management report.

SUPPLIED Justine Montague with her dog Meg who was attacked by another dog earlier this year.

There were also 935 dog attacks on animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rabbits. A further 124 were on livestock.

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Auckland Council animal management manager Nikki Marchant-Ludlow said most of the attacks were from pitbull-type animals.

123rf Dog owners face hefty fines and penalties if they didn't keep their pets in check.

"Sadly, we are aware of some instances where animals, including cats, chickens and stock, did pass away as a result of their injuries from dog attacks."

North Shore resident Justine Montague put it down to spontaneity.

Her dog, Meg, was viciously attacked by another dog on January 3 at Bethells Beach.

123rf Dogs known to be dangerous or who have attacked before are supposed to be muzzled and on a leash in public places.

The attack left Meg with deep puncture wounds and shattered ribs.

Montague said blame should be put on dog owners, and not by singling out certain dog breeds.

"Dogs are unpredictable, these problems are across all dog species," Montague said.

"But there are legislations in place for a reason – leash laws, daylight saving restrictions, dangerous breed precautions. If people want to own a pet, they need to be educated with all this information."

Marchant-Ludlow said there were already strict penalties in place for dog owners under the Dog Control Act.

For a dog attack on a person or animal, a dog owner could be fined up to $3000 and face prosecution. The dog could also be put down.

Animal Management handed out 5,098 infringement notices to dog owners between 2016 and 2017, while 271 people were prosecuted for breaches of the Dog Control Act.

"Anyone who witnesses or is involved in a dog attack or has urgent concerns about a dog that is off-leash should contact council's Animal Management team as soon as possible," Marchant-Ludlow said.

Animal Management responded to 37,699 dog-related calls in the year up to June, most of which were for barking, pickups and roaming dogs.