Dog euthanised by Auckland Council despite an adoption request by woman who found him

An Auckland woman says she has lost total trust in Auckland Council after it euthanised a stray dog she handed over with specific instructions that she was ready to adopt him if his owner isn’t found.

The council said the dog was euthanised because it had shown signs of concerning behaviour.

Cheyenne Rose said the mixed-breed, black and white coloured dog followed them home from a Papatoetoe park where she and her partner had gone for a walk on November 12 last year.

“He was dirty and hungry but had the most beautiful, kind nature and was very friendly,” Rose said.

“We took him into our home, bathed him, fed him and gave him a warm bed for the night.”

It was love at first sight, she said, but Rose believed the dog was someone’s pet as he could understand commands like stay, walk and come.

Auckland Council euthanised Robbie when no one claimed him after seven days.

“We live in a townhouse and have minimal space for a dog, but he was such a sweetheart we considered adopting him and thought we’d find a way to make things work if his owners weren’t found,” she said.

“We gave the dog a name - Robbie.”

Rose posted photos of the dog on six Facebook groups and when no owners claimed him, she called Auckland Council the following day to enquire about what to do with stray dogs.

“I spoke to someone at its contact centre who told me that Animal Management can pick up the dog today and take him to Manukau Animal Shelter for seven days,” she said.

“He’ll then be put to a temperament test, of which she agreed he will definitely pass given his sweet, gentle nature that I had told her about.

“She said he would then be put up for adoption if his owners have not claimed him.”

Rose said she then gave her contact details to say she would adopt him if no one came forward.

When the animal management officers came to pick him up an hour later, she again asked many questions about the process to ensure that he would not be put down.

“The two handlers were so reassuring and told me he would definetly not be put down unless he failed the temperament test, which they also agreed because of his nature he is very unlikely to fail,” she said.

The council said the dog was euthanised because he showed signs of concerning behaviour.

They told her the dog would be put up at one of the council’s adoption facilities in Manukau, Silverdale or Henderson and to watch the Auckland Council Facebook pet adoption page.

“They also said that if he is not adopted from a facility, he’d go to a dog rescue place, so he definitely won’t be put down,” she said.

“The handlers could see I was emotional and teary handing him over and they were so reassuring in telling me that it was just seven days to find his owner and then we could adopt him if we chose to.”

But after the seven days, she called the council for an update and after being put on hold for about 45 minutes, she was told her there were no dogs in the Manukau facility from the date he was placed “so it’s inevitable that Robbie had been euthanised”.

“He didn’t get put up for adoption. Just gone,” Rose said.

“I was absolutely gutted and beyond digusted and upset. I have now lost total trust in the council, who in my eyes have got zero credibility and are just liars.”

Rose said she had stated explicitly to multiple staff members that she intended to adopt Robbie.

“I was lied to on the phone and to my face,” she said.

Auckland Council’s manager animal management Elly Waitoa said the council “can understand the distress this situation had caused”.

“We are in the process of reviewing our records and speaking with officers to better understand the details of the situation, and will be reaching out to Ms Cheyenne directly to discuss her concerns,” Waitoa said.

Waitoa said the officer who collected the dog had discussed adoption with Rose explained there was a process that needed to be followed and that she would need to follow this up with staff at the shelter.

“The council’s dog rehoming and fostering policy prohibits rehoming a dog to the same area in which the dog was found, as this has been identified as a significant risk for repeat unwanted incidents and poses a safety risk to new owners,” Waitoa said.

“We will be reminding all officers of this policy to ensure it is clearly communicated in future.”

Waitoa said when dogs are brought in, staff would observe them closely for any temperament issues to determine suitability for adoption.

“This particular dog showed signs of concerning behaviour and this led to the decision to euthanise when the owner had not come forward after seven days,” Waitoa said.

“Our animal management officers and shelter staff are all animal lovers and seeing dogs that come through our shelters euthanised is one of the most difficult parts of the job.

“The only way this situation can be avoided is for more Aucklanders to be responsible dog owners, including registering and de-sexing dogs and keeping them contained on their properties.”

Waitoa said the known dog population in Auckland had been growing about 5 to 6 per cent since Covid, and this, combined with increased incidences of roaming and aggressive dogs, meant all of the council’s shelters were operating at near-capacity.

Lincoln Tan specialises in covering stories around diversity and immigration. He’s been a journalist at the Herald since 2006.