Marlborough man Sam Jane and wife Holly Jane are upset with the animal control process, after a dog that attacked him was released without a heads up.

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A man attacked by a dog at a family member's house was shocked to see pictures of the dog, back at home, on social media nine days after being seized by animal control.

Blenheim electrician Sam Jane was visiting a relative when he was attacked by their 3-year-old American bulldog in the front yard.

The dog latched onto Jane's arm, pulling him to the ground, in an attack that lasted close to three minutes, he said.

Jane's partner took him to the emergency department at Wairau Hospital, in Blenheim, where he received seven stitches to his wrist.

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​Jane said he was encouraged by hospital staff to report the incident to animal control but wanted to hold off to sort it out within the family.

SUPPLIED Sam Jane needed seven stitches for the gash on his wrist from where the dog "locked on".

A Marlborough District Council spokesperson said the council received a formal report about the attack. A Nelson Marlborough Health spokeswoman would not confirm hospital staff reported the attack, but said they often gave patients "all sorts of advice".

Jane gave a statement to animal control and the dog was seized, five days after the attack.

When Jane rang animal control on Wednesday last week he was told "the case was still before the courts", he said.

Later that day he saw on Facebook the dog was back home.

The council spokesperson said as a result of the investigation the dog was classified as "dangerous". This meant it had to be desexed within a month, kept within a securely fenced portion of the owner's property and not be in a public place without a muzzle or a leash.

"No-one notified us that the dog was released," Jane said.

SUPPLIED Dog-related injuries in New Zealand are on the rise, with more than 14,000 claims made to ACC last year.

His wife Holly Jane was sitting in the car outside the property when the attack happened.

She didn't realise how serious it was until she heard the screaming, she said.

"I jumped out and realised he was getting full-on attacked.

SUPPLIED The dog attack left deep, puncture wounds on Sam Jane's arm.

"Every time he fell on the ground, I had to turn away because I didn't know what state he was going to come up in.

"I did freeze for a bit. It was traumatising watching this."

SUPPLIED Blenheim man Sam Jane was taken to Wairau Hospital where his injuries were treated.

They did not want the owner prosecuted, but felt let down by animal control, she said.

"We're just quite annoyed that animal control pressured us into this and put the guilt on us that if this happened again it would be our fault, and then for the dog to be returned and no-one even tell us.

"I feel like the system has failed. That dog was vicious, it wasn't registered, you couldn't get to the front door without passing the dog.

"Why should they be allowed the dog back?"

SUPPLIED Almost 150 ACC claims for dog-related injuries were made in Marlborough last year.

Once the investigation was complete, it was within animal control's policy to write to the complainant and advise them of the outcome, the council spokesperson said.

"In this particular case a letter to the complainant is in train."

The dog's owner said the dog had been fine interacting with Jane on other occasions.

"It was just one of those freak things, it just happened."

SUPPLIED Last year, 439 dogs were "prosecuted" and 64 "destroyed".

The dog started looking at Jane with "this weird face, he was just staring at him", she said.

"I thought 'just in case, I'm going to put you away'."

She told Jane to stand still a few times, while she put the dog away, she said.

She said the dog was like a "normal guard dog" and would growl at people through the fence but was generally just a "big drooling baby".

Dangerous:

Dogs are deemed 'dangerous' if they kill, injure or endanger a person. Any dog that has been reported 'rushing' at a person will be classified as dangerous.

Menacing:

There are five dog breeds that automatically receive menacing dog status: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario and American Pit Bull Terrier. There is a ban on importing these dogs, but no ban on owning or breeding them.