Emotional reunion with seized dog

TOGETHER: Dalefield pig farmer John Broeren has been reunited with his briard breeding bitch Hale, which was seized by Wairarapa SPCA more than two years ago then ordered to be returned last week after animal cruelty charges were dropped. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A Dalefield farmer who successfully fought to have his seized dog returned after 25 months is experiencing an emotional roller-coaster of a reunion.

John Broeren was charged with animal cruelty against his 7-year-old briard breeding bitch Hale in 2013, but the charges were dropped, with the SPCA returning the dog to him this week.

The family who had fostered and renamed the dog in the interim, have offered to buy "Annie" from him.

They handed back the dog last Friday, as well as a bag of children's drawings of "Annie" as a family pet.

Mr Broeren had been expecting a handover from the SPCA, not the family, and said the emotional meeting should not have happened.

"He was supposed to come on his own... I'm on a knife-edge as it is without them playing on my heartstrings."

He said Hale was like a "different dog", stressed, not eating properly, and fretting.

But after spending the first night on his bed, she appeared to come right.

Mr Broeren is upset the dog had been spayed without his permission, and is considering suing the SPCA.

"It's sad. No animal needs to be neutered. It alters their behaviour."

Wairarapa SCPA chairwoman Marie Johnston said Hale was spayed on veterinarian advice because of a large mammary tumour.

She said the priority was the welfare of the dog.

The medical files would be provided to Mr Broeren.

The foster family arrived with the dog to ensure a safe handover for the animal, she said. "She's a very timid dog. We didn't want her to experience any emotional upheaval ... he sat down with them and if he wasn't comfortable he could have asked them to leave."