One more child has been attacked while the government assures to begin a delayed promise to evaluate regulations on life-threatening dogs.

An 18-month-old Porirua girl underwent an extensive plastic surgery after being mauled by a pitbull-staffordshire cross owned by her family. She was then discharged from the hospital after the successful operation.

Authorities are waiting for the family's approval to 'put down' the dog.

Another child was bitten by her neighbor's American bulldog in Rotorua yesterday. The 9-year-old girl suffered deep wounds on her arm and head. She was sent to Rotorua Hospital for treatment.

The victim was one of a group of kids strolling with the dog around 2:30 p.m. The partner of the dog owner attempted to pull away the dog and jumped on the kid to protect her.

Nick Smith, Local Government Minister, pledged yesterday to initiate investigation of laws and regulations associated with dangerous dogs.

The investigation was thought to happen in the previous year.

Rodney Hide, past local government minister, had promised to modify dog control laws prior to the November election, but that assessment had been postponed due to Christchurch earthquakes.

The current minister said he was worried about the conditions of the recent attacks. The authorities would assess the incidents and find out whether there were concerns related to dog control legislation in connection to public security.

A dog can be called 'dangerous' if the council has logical ground to say that the canine is considered a threat to the community or other animals. Dangerous dogs are expected to be leashed and stifled in public.

A dog can only be declared 'frightening' if it is a potential threat to any individual, domesticated animal or even protected wildlife due to its breed or past experience or behavior.