Dog ‘accidentally’ killed with bolt gun after horror mix-up by New Zealand council – family left ‘heartbroken and shocked’
A couple have been left ‘heartbroken and in shock’ after their beloved dog Sarge was accidentally captured and killed during a council blunder.
To make matters worse for ‘devastated’ owners Logan and Piri, Gisborne District Council on New Zealand’s North Island used a bolt gun to euthanise him, rather than an intravenous injection by a vet.
The council confirmed in a statement that Sarge, who had a microchip, was “accidentally put to sleep” last Friday after being mixed with another dog that was due to be killed that day.
Family friend Kara Hull said the way the council handled the situation was cruel.
“Imagine accidentally killing a person and then just making a media statement,” she said stuff.co.nz.
“Sarge was family. Logan and Piri have no children and Sarge was their baby. It’s devastating’
A couple have been left ‘heartbroken and in shock’ after their beloved dog Sarge (pictured) was accidentally killed by a council despite having a microchip
On Friday, while the couple was at work, Sergeant was picked up by a city animal control officer and taken to the dog shelter, despite neighbors trying to prevent the animal from being taken.
Logan and Piri were called to pick him up, but Sergeant was put down before they could get there.
“They killed him,” Mrs. Hull said. ‘A person from the municipality knocked on Piri’s door and told her that their dog had been accidentally put down.
“Logan and Piri are just beside themselves with grief.”
In a Facebook post, she wrote that Sarge was the “best, good boy there ever was,” that he “would never hurt a fly” and that he was “never just a dog to us, you were and will be forever are our family. ‘.
She said the dog was later delivered to its owners in “a garbage bag.”
It was only when the couple opened the bag to bury the dog under his favorite plum tree that they discovered he had been killed with a bolt pistol.
“He actually had a gunshot wound to the head. Not just what happened, but to see him like that was so painful – to think he died like that is beyond horrible,” Mrs Hull said.
The council’s chief executive, Nedine Thatcher Swann, confirmed that Sarge was euthanised with a ‘captured shotgun’.
She knew it was not approved by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), but said the council had been using this method for years.
The SPCA’s policy states: ‘In most situations, the best method of euthanasia for dogs is a veterinarian’s use of lethal injection whenever possible (and sedation if necessary to reduce the stress of handling prior to euthanasia) .’
The council confirmed in a statement that Sarge (pictured) was ‘accidentally put down’ last Friday after being mixed with another dog that was due to be killed that day.
The council said it was “a very unfortunate incident” and “human error” that Sergeant was “misidentified for another dog scheduled to be put down on the same day.”
The animal police officer who made the ‘terrible mistake’ of killing the wrong dog has been put on leave while the case is investigated by the council. seek legal advice.
The council says it ‘unreservedly apologizes’ for ‘this serious mistake’ and that the official involved is ‘deeply remorseful and shocked’.
“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…
“We will take appropriate action to ensure we learn from this and ensure this does not happen again.”
The council (statement in photo) said it ‘apologises unreservedly’ for ‘this serious error’ and that the officer involved is ‘deeply remorseful and shocked’.