A woman was giving herself up after a stolen car pursuit when a police officer unleashed his dog on her, leaving her with severe arm injuries, an independent report has found.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has ruled the woman was the victim of excessive police force.

The incident happened on April 23 last year when three people in a stolen vehicle abandoned it after a nine-minute car chase in Paeroa in the Waikato.

But when a police dog handler arrived at the scene and found one of the fleeing passengers, a woman identified as Ms X, he unleashed his dog to apprehend her.

Ms X suffered multiple dog bite wounds and required hospitalisation.

But according to the Independent Police Conduct Authority finding, released today, the dog handler could have used lesser force to arrest Ms X.

"The female was a passenger in a stolen vehicle. She was giving herself up to police. The use of the dog was neither proportionate to the circumstances or the offence she had committed or appropriate when she was surrendering," the report stated.

"The female's injuries were substantial and required admission to hospital and surgical repair to her arm. The force used by the dog handler to apprehend the female was excessive," said authority chair, Judge Colin Doherty.

"The authority is of the view that there were lesser tactical options available to Officer C to
apprehend Ms X, such as communication and empty hand techniques," the report stated.

"The Authority has therefore determined that Officer C used excessive force to apprehend Ms X by deploying the Police dog."

"Police did however provide appropriate medical assistance to Ms X following the incident."