The Gisborne family said 'Sarge' was collared and chipped and was taken from a fenced area at the house. Photo: Supplied
The Gisborne animal control officer responsible for killing a family's beloved pet dog by mistake has resigned.
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.
Now, the officer has released a heartfelt apology to the dog's whānau, and the Tairāwhiti community.
"It is with sadness and remorse that I acknowledge my actions which led to the untimely death of a much-loved family dog," they said.
"An error that I will forever regret."
They said they would cease working for the Gisborne District Council following the mistake.
"Given the seriousness of my failure, I have decided to resign from my position," they said, "I believe in taking ownership for my actions".
They said the mistake was theirs alone, and the council had processes which they, "unfortunately did not follow".
To the Tairāwhiti community, they extended their apologies.
"I understand that trust is a big part of the job, and I deeply regret breaking that trust," they said.
The Gisborne District Council has also apologised for the "grievous" and "regrettable case of human error," and has launched an investigation to understand how the mistake was made.
Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said the dog, named 'Sarge', was on the road before the officer picked him up.
She said the property Sarge belonged to was checked, however, no one was home and he was taken to the pound.
"Our standard operating procedure is that if there is no one home, we cannot leave the dog there because they may escape again," Swann said.
"What happened next is under review. However, it appears that what occurred was a terrible, regrettable mistake and a case of human error by another officer that was not involved in picking Sarge up earlier in the day."
In a social media post, the family said Sarge was "the victim of gross negligence, [incompetence] 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.