City council blames human error for family pet being put down

By ELIZABETH BINNING

A family are seeking legal advice after their pet labrador cross Jessie was mistakenly put down while being held in Hamilton City Council custody.

The 5-year-old animal was being held by dog control officers after allegedly rushing at a woman who was pushing an 8-week-old baby in a pram.

The owner, Glenn Southern, who disputes the rushing incident, said he became concerned for the dog's safety when council officers seized Jessie two days later.

Mr Southern said he wrote a letter to the mayor, David Braithwaite, but was reassured the incident was being investigated and that Jessie was safe.

However, eight days later the father of three was told by the council that there had been a mistake.

"I was called into the council and given the bad news that basically human error had led to an incorrect [message] being put into the computer."

He was upset and unable to tell his children for some days.

The council's environmental services general manager, Graeme Fleming, said the mistake happened because a memo advising that the dog was to be held pending the outcome of the investigation was not entered into a computer. Without that memo dogs were usually destroyed after seven days.

The dog was the subject of a similar complaint in Rotorua. Mr Fleming said there was no doubt that Jessie had been seized legally but the council acknowledged the dog should not have been destroyed, and was reviewing procedures.

Mr Fleming said he wanted the Southerns to know it was a one-off mistake. Although it would not bring Jessie back, he also wanted to apologise.

He said there had been an increase in reports of dog "rushing" incidents since attacks like the one that left young Auckland girl Carolina Anderson in hospital last year. In most "rushing" cases owners received warning notices.