Family dog taken from home and mistakenly put down by council

A beloved family dog who was taken from its home was tragically euthanized by the local council by mistake.

The New Zealand family have understandably been left absolutely devastated by the horrific error and an investigation has since been launched into the incident which took place in the Gisborne area last Friday (22 September)

The late dog, named Sarge, was both collared and microchipped and was allegedly taken from a fenced property and put to sleep by animal control officers.

Sarge was euthanized by a bolt gun in a 'devastating' case of mistaken identity, despite neighbors telling officers to 'leave him alone' when they took him from the family home.

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The owners, couple Logan and Piri, explained their pup was taken to the pound and 'immediately put down'

They said in a statement Sarge was 'the victim of gross negligence, incompetency and the most disgusting behaviour you could ever imagine'.

"He was taken from his safe place, his own property" they continued. "He’d never ever hurt a fly."

The grieving pair offered a tribute to their late furry friend: "You were never just a dog to us, you were and will forever be our family."

Gisborne District Council has since confirmed the news, claiming the situation was 'a very unfortunate incident' and the mistake was down to a 'human error' that saw Sarge 'mistakenly identified for another dog'

In an official statement posted to Facebook yesterday (24 September), the council revealed it had begun a 'comprehensive investigation to understand the circumstances that led to this grievous error'.

"While not all the facts are known, it appears that this was a regrettable case of human error, where the dog was mistakenly identified for another dog that was scheduled to be put down on the same day," they said.

Council leadership has since contacted the family and 'intend on meeting with them' to discuss the matter further.

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"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," the council continued.

"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."

They concluded: "Gisborne District Council strives to provide an excellent standard of service to our community. In this case, it's clear, we have failed. We sincerely apologise.

"Council is also providing support to the Animal Control Officer involved, who is deeply remorseful and shaken. We kindly ask for understanding and patience as we work through the investigation."

UNILAD has reached out to Gisborne District Council for comment.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677