Council puts down Gisborne family’s pet dog after mistaking it for another dog

A Gisborne family's beloved pet dog has been killed after authorities mistook it for another dog due to be put down.

Gisborne District Council is investigating the “very unfortunate incident”, which happened on Friday. It said the dog was being held at the pound and appeared to have been mistakenly identified for another dog which was scheduled to be put down on the same day.

In a social media post, the family said ‘Sarge' was “the victim of gross negligence, incompetency and the most disgusting behaviour you could ever imagine”.

They said the collared and chipped dog was taken from a fenced area at his house, despite neighbours' objections, and was put down at the pound before anyone had a chance to collect him.

In a statement, the council apologised for the “grievous” and “regrettable case of human error”. Senior leaders had contacted the family to apologise and intended to meet with them when appropriate, it said.

“We understand that nothing can replace the deep bond and memories shared between a family and their pet, and we are deeply saddened by the unfortunate event.

“At this time, we want to reassure the community that we're taking this matter seriously, and we will take appropriate measures to ensure we learn from this and ensure it does not happen again.”

The council said it was also supporting the animal control officer involved, who was deeply remorseful and shaken.