Where it all started
Jock was the beloved pet of Timothy-Rene van Delden's mother. But when she passed away in 2018, it came into her son's ownership and enjoyed running around with the other animals on their spacious Oamaru property.
All was going well until October 23, 2019. A 38-year-old father-of-seven, van Delden came home from work to be greeted by his upset wife Rinae, who was distressed after an incident between Jock and a neighbour's dog.
It's not clear exactly when or how the incident unfolded. Van Delden reckons Jock had bite marks on his nose and must've retaliated.
A judge later formed the impression Jock had "rag-dolled" the smaller dog, Prince, and found it was a "clearly a vicious" attack.
Whatever happened, Prince was left badly injured and was later euthanised by a vet.
Two days later, the council seized Jock under the Dog Control Act. 1996
Van Delden made numerous phone calls trying to get his dog back.
The court battles
Some months later, his wife Rinae was charged with being the owner of a dog that attacked a domestic animal.
But van Delden says she was "clearly not the owner" and she pleaded not guilty.
"She was dragged through the courts and has no convictions at all," he said.
"I made quite a fuss, ringing up probably way too much, trying to find out what was going on, only to be told to wait for the court process."
At the conclusion of the prosecution case, Judge Jim Large agreed. He dismissed the charges after considering there was no evidence that she was the owner.
The court did, however, find that an attack had taken place and that Jock had been responsible for Prince's death.
That then allowed the court to hear submissions for an order of destruction of the dog, heard by the same judge a few weeks later.
The judge rejected the defence submissions and ordered the destruction of Jock.
The van Deldens immediately sought a "stay of execution" pending an appeal in the High Court.
The High Court rejected the appeal and reaffirmed the destruction order on September 2 last year.
Jock's demise
Van Delden was under the impression he was granted 20 days to appeal the order but that Jock was put down before the appeal period expired.
He tells the Herald he has not ruled out further legal action.
Waitaki District Council confirms that the van Delden's dog was euthanised via injection by a registered vet and in the presence of an SPCA officer on September 2 last year.
"Council staff immediately informed Mr Van Delden's counsel and asked if he wished to have the dog returned to him. Arrangements were then made to return the dog on September 8, 2021," a council spokesman says.
The delay was "due to Mr Van Delden's lack of response", the council says, while van Delden blames Covid restrictions.
When he went to pick up Jock from outside Oamaru police station, the dog was wrapped in a bag and "frozen solid".
His eyes were open and he was sitting up on his front legs.
Van Delden was left disgusted at Jock's state, and said it upset his children and family.
"I don't know how the hell they did that to him," he said.
"For him to be front legs up, eyes open, with a look on his face, like, he's looking, he's searching.
"I suspect he wasn't even euthanised. Either that or he was posed in the freezer just to disturb my family when he came home.
"There's something that stinks about this."
But the council says there is nothing sinister at play.
"Council obviously had to store the dog in a manner to avoid bodily fluid contamination or decomposition," the spokesman said.
"This was a long drawn-out process caused by the pandemic and the many court delays.
"It was a difficult process for all those involved, not only for Mr Van Delden, but also the staff involved with the care of this dog."
Jock is buried at the van Delden's family property.
This week, van Delden appeared in court in relation to allegations he visited the dog pound where Jock was being kept and is charged with being unlawfully in a premises. He also faces a charge of escaping custody.
The case is still before the courts.
