Mike Webster said while he knew the association had offered to rehome the dog, it was Napier City Council's view the dog should be put down.
A pitbull that mauled another dog to death in Napier recently remains in the city's animal pound - despite a pitbull association calling for it to be freed.
Napier City Council regulatory services manager Mike Webster said: "The dog's owner has not surrendered him to be put down, so ultimately
his fate will likely be decided by a judge."
The pitbull, known as Dante, made headlines after he killed a shar pei not long after being released from the council pound last month.
The dog had originally been held because he wasn't registered, not because he had been aggressive.
After a social media campaign raised the fees required to release the dog, dog control officers advised the owners the animal needed to be restrained when around other dogs and muzzled when out in public because he had displayed "dog aggressive" behaviour while in the pound.
