KEAAU — An Orchidland man whose dogs attacked a woman and her dog will have a chunk removed from his wallet, while the victim says the law lacks sufficient bite.

Puna District Court Judge Harry Freitas yesterday ordered a restitution hearing June 30 for Kevin Nakano, whose six pit bulls bit Meidor Hu, an art instructor at Hawaii Community College, and her pet German shepherd, Hammer. The attack took place at about 5:30 p.m. May 8, 2008, on 40th Avenue in the Puna subdivision.
Hu was bitten several times on her left leg and suffered a broken finger. Her bills for doctors, X-rays, the emergency room and the veterinarian totaled $3,922.10. Nakano will have to pay what Hu's insurance did not cover.
Asked if she thought justice had prevailed Hu said: "It doesn't really feel like anything's been done."
Hu said she was walking Hammer when Nakano's dogs ran toward them.
"Basically, these dogs just attacked my dog," she said. She said that she was pulled by the leash into the fight. She said that Hammer, a 10-year-old neutered male, was bitten 27 times.
"His ear was ripped," she said. "They bit everywhere. They bit his ear; they bit his penis.
"The feeling that your dog is going to die right before you is awful."
Nakano said that his dogs had never attacked anyone before.
"My dogs attacked the lady's dog, not the lady," he said. "I threw myself in between the dogs and I just tried to control the situation."
Hu confirmed that Nakano did intervene and try to help, but said he showed no concern later.
"I never heard from him; he never came by. He never said 'sorry,' and that's troubling," she said. "My neighbor's dog was attacked by another neighbor's dog. (The dog owner) came by to visit; he apologized. He paid for the veterinarian."
A dog owner whose animal has bitten a human is required by state law to pay restitution for a victim's injuries. A dog is not classified as "vicious" unless it has bitten a human on two separate occasions.
A bill introduced by state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa that would have banned the ownership, possession or sale of pit bull dogs in Hawaii was killed in committee this legislative session. Had it passed, the measure would have made pit bull ownership a misdemeanor.
Nakano says he no longer has dogs. He said he "dropped his dogs off at the Humane Society" after the attack, although he was not required by law to do so. A Hawaii Island Humane Society employee said that records are kept of dogs left there by their owners, but could not immediately verify that Nakano had turned his dogs in.
Hu said that she no longer walks Hammer by Nakano's residence.
"My dog was a confident dog, not aggressive, but confident. He's timid now," she said.
While Hu still has several visible puncture marks on her leg, she said the psychological scars are worse.
"I never had panic attacks before, but I do now. Every time I hear a dog bark."