A dog owner has been charged with manslaughter following a fatal mauling in Northland earlier this year.Mihiata Te Rore, 62, died when she was attacked by three dogs at a property she was visiting in Kaihu, north of Dargaville, in February.Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer, of the Whangārei CIB, said a 43-year-old Kaihu man had been arrested in central Auckland earlier today.Pilmer said the arrest was the result of a challenging, six-month-long investigation.He said emergency services were called to a rural property off State Highway 12 about 11.25am on 17 February.The victim had suffered unsurvivable injuries and died at the scene.Te Rore was described by family as a loveable straight-shooter who loved her mokopuna "more than life itself".A mother of five, grandmother of six and great-grandmother of one, she had worked as a substitute teacher at Kaihū Valley, Dargaville Intermediate and Dargaville High schools.After retiring from teaching she continued to support the local primary school with its roll of about 15 pupils.The three dogs involved in the attack were seized by the Kaipara District Council and put down."The investigation team has been working tirelessly in the weeks and months since, including seeking a legal review. Ultimately this has resulted in a charge of manslaughter. It has been challenging, and we acknowledge the significance of reaching this stage," Pilmer said."Police have been in contact with the whānau of the deceased who we extend our deepest sympathies to at this difficult time."It is believed to be only the second time anyone in New Zealand has been charged with manslaughter in relation to a dog attack.The first came after a fatal mauling in Panguru, also in Northland, in 2022.In that case, 69-year-old Neville Thomson was mauled to death by a pack of 23 dogs owned by his lodger Abel Wira.During the trial, the court heard the dogs had not been fed for two days and had escaped from a caravan where the door was secured only with string and a piece of wood.Wira was sentenced in the High Court at Whangārei in October last year to three-and-a-half years in prison for manslaughter.The Kaihu tragedy re-ignited calls around the country to urgently update the 30-year-old Dog Control Act.Auckland and Northland councils had for years been asking for greater powers to deal with roaming dogs and irresponsible owners, saying the current law forced them to keep returning dogs allowed to roam by their owners.Local Government Minister Simon Watts relented after Te Rore's death and pledged an overhaul of the law, but not in the current political term.The dog was registered and had not previously come to the council's attention. It has since been euthanised.Police said they would not be laying charges in that case.