Fined for housing lost pup

Looks like Watt is up to his old tricks!

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.

and probably worth some money too!

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.

Oops.. she didn't read my blog! Never ever contact the pound. I think that they have nothing better to do than to try and bleed green stuff out of their wallets!

I mean, of course, at Invercargill... no other city council pound, ...

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.

Actually, Mrs Hedges should have said that she was afraid that Watt and the Mayor would kill the pup thinking that it was saving society from a 'potential' vicious dog!

Cute dog bite too!!!

"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. And gone to hell.

"We thought we were doing a good turn." Christmas is a time for good turns too! What wrong with the folks down there?!

"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. Read what it written in the last sentence...

Yesterday, Mr Abbott said it appeared the council's approach was heavy handed. I see that Watt needs to find another job, and QUICK! Maybe he should join the police... he'd fit really well there.

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"I will be trying to do my damndest to get that bill rescinded," he said. Sorry, not good enough. Heads should roll. Enough is enough!

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. Pooh! what a load of rubbish. You're also supposed to complete a stop at a STOP sign too! How many do that!

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. HOLY SHITE... TREATED HUMANELY !~! what about the puppies you murdered in your care? Read the story here

"She (Mrs Hedges) has got no right to hold the dog if it's not hers," he said. But it's lost! It's the council's way of charging fees.

Remember the issue with the Timaru dog issue. Refresh your memory here.

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. Like what? escape?

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. What a JOKE!