The owners of a dog accused of attacking an 83-year-old woman with dementia have disputed her story, saying the dog nipped her after she approached it with an outstretched hand.

The Upper Hutt couple said she appeared to be relatively unharmed after the incident, and were shocked to hear she has since been in hospital.

Leng Mui, known by locals as Helen Bock or Mrs Bock - was walking down Kentucky St on her way to feed the paradise ducks at Awakairangi Park when the incident happened.

Friend and advocate Bruce Mead said she was moving around two illegally parked cars when a large black and white dog rushed out and knocked her to the ground, biting her severely on the hand - but the dog’s owners said this was not true.

They said they had the car parked on the driveway to load gear into it, and were holding the dog by the collar in a sit position in preparation for getting into the car when Mui approached.

“Mrs Bock, without asking, approached our dog with an outstretched hand.”

They said their dog - a rescue with some anxiety issues - was frightened by the sudden approach, and “reacted, unfortunately, by nipping Mrs Bock on the right hand”.

Mui was not knocked to the ground and did not appear to be badly injured, they said.

The owners said they saw her wiggle her fingers and say “oh dear”.

Leng Mui's hand suffered "exceptional swelling" after being bitten. Photo / Supplied

“We saw a very small mark on her right hand. We apologised and asked if she was okay. She responded by saying she was going to head home and put a plaster on her hand.”

The owners said they have asked Mui multiple times over the last three years not to stand and talk to their dog at the gate, as it caused their pet anxiety and distress.

“She means well but she doesn’t understand,” they said.

Bruce Mead earlier said Mui was a staunch Buddhist who loved all animals.

“She talks to all dogs, cats, worms, birds, butterflies, everything, even picks up worms from the concrete footpath and puts them on the grass. She’s just animal crazy,” he said.

He visited Mui later that day and took her to the hospital when she developed “exceptional swelling” in her hand. She has had several operations to repair a broken bone in her hand and remove pus from the wound, he said. She would also require further surgeries to repair tendons, he said.

But the dog’s owners said they could not reconcile what they saw of her injury with the news of the surgeries and the fact she has been in hospital for nearly two weeks.

They questioned whether there had been another incident later that morning which had caused further injuries.

Mui told the Herald the owners had not so much as offered to help her off the ground, or provide medical care, but the couple said she had never fallen to the ground and if she had they would have helped her. They believed she had only suffered a scratch, and said she didn’t appear to be in pain when they asked her if she was okay.

Leng Mui has been in hospital since being bitten. Photo / Supplied

They have been “shocked” at a high number of “appalling” comments made on social media after Mead made posts on Facebook about the incident.

People had commented that the owners deserved to die or should be euthanised.

They said they continued to be in shock that what they had believed to be a relatively minor incident had erupted in this way.

“Obviously we’re sad that Mrs Bock is in hospital and had these injuries, that’s horrible for her.

“We’re obviously ever so sorry that it’s happened.”

They said their dog was “lovely” but was also a “typical” dog and could be territorial at times.

“He does have quite high anxiety from being a rescue dog.”

Upper Hutt City Council’s director of planning and regulatory services, Helen Hamilton, said they received formal notification of the incident yesterday.

“We have opened an investigation that is currently underway. As this is an active investigation, we cannot comment any further on this matter.”