Fined for housing lost pup

JOHN HAWKINS/Southland Times

DOG-GONE IT: Invercargill woman Sue Hedges and the bichon-maltese-cross puppy she rescued on Sunday.

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Invercargill dog control officers have slapped a $750 fine on a couple of good samaritans who rescued a lost puppy.

Sue Hedges said her elderly neighbour found the bichon-maltese cross on Sunday.

Unable to look after the animal, the neighbour gave the puppy to Mrs Hedges and her husband Grant, who tried to find its owner.

The dog did not have a collar, was not microchipped and a vet estimated it was three to four months old.

Mrs Hedges left her contact details with three vet clinics, the Invercargill City Council, the SPCA and several businesses, trying to find the owner of the dog.

Yesterday she said she now wished she had bypassed the city council after animal control officers visited her home on Tuesday to seize the dog.

Afraid the pup would be hurt if he was caged with larger, more aggressive dogs, Mrs Hedges refused to hand over the dog, asking if she could instead keep it until the owners came forward.

"We would love to find the owner and I can't see any difference ... why can't he stay here and be looked after?" she said.Instead she was cited for "wilful obstruction of a dog control officer" and fined $750.

"I nearly died," she said.

"We thought we were doing a good turn."

"I just really wish that we had not rung the pound," she said.

The couple had no intention of paying and spoke to city councillor Lindsay Abbott.

Yesterday, Mr Abbott said it appeared the council's approach was heavy handed.

He hoped the Hedges would not have to pay the fine.

"I will be trying to do my damndest to get that bill rescinded," he said.

City council environmental and planning services director William Watt said he was unaware of the incident, so was unable to comment on it specifically, but the council was authorised under the Dog Control Act to seize and impound lost or stray dogs.

Those powers extended to animals found by the public, he said.

Rules governing the pound meant animals had to be treated humanely. There was no such guarantee if dogs were taken in by strangers on the street, he said.

"She (Mrs Hedges) has got no right to hold the dog if it's not hers," he said.

Concerns Mrs Hedges had about the puppy being held with larger dogs were unfounded as special arrangements would be made for the puppy, Mr Watt said.

Mrs Hedges should hand the puppy over to animal control officers and ask them to contact her if no-one claimed the dog, he said.

She could also ask that the fine be waived or lowered in return.

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