Bruce Thorpe of Kohukohu and his fox terrier Susu join a dog lovers' protest ahead of Thursday's Far North District Council meeting in Kaitaia. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Bruce Thorpe of Kohukohu and his fox terrier Susu join a dog lovers' protest ahead of Thursday's Far North District Council meeting in Kaitaia. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The Far North District Council has requested an independent review into its treatment of Rosie, a dog which reportedly became malnourished and lost five of its 11 puppies while in a council pound.
The undertaking came during a council meeting in Kaitaia where councillors were greeted by a "Justice forRosie" protest organised by lobby group Bay of Islands Watchdogs.
Sixteen people and three dogs took part in Thursday's protest, chanting (or barking in some cases) and holding placards.
Protesters gather outside Kaitaia's Te Ahu Centre ahead of Thursday's Far North District Council meeting. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) had been asked to carry out the review, council district services manager Dean Myburgh said.
The review would look into animal management, dog handling practices and care related to Rosie's stay in the pound.
Myburgh said the council had yet to hear back from MPI but the review would be made public once completed.
MPI had already conducted a review of the temporary pound at Horeke after an approach by the Watchdogs. The council had yet to receive that report but verbal feedback so far had been positive, Myburgh said.
Far North District Council chief executive Shaun Clarke runs the gauntlet of dog-loving protesters outside Kaitaia's Te Ahu Centre. Photo / Peter de Graaf
However, the Rosie review is unlikely to satisfy the Watchdogs, who are calling for a full external review of the animal management department and its pounds at Horeke and Kaitaia.
Myburgh acknowledged the group had raised other issues with the council, which was looking into internal staffing matters as a result.
Because those were employment issues they would be investigated internally, as opposed to animal welfare issues which could be investigated by MPI.
Watchdogs spokeswoman Leonie Exel said the problems in animal management were ''too many to even begin to list''. She also called on the council to protect its junior animal management staff and listen to what they were saying.
Bruce Thorpe of Kohukohu and his fox terrier Susu join a dog lovers' protest ahead of Thursday's Far North District Council meeting in Kaitaia. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Protesters at Thursday's council meeting included Bruce Thorpe of Kohukohu and his fox terrier Susu.
''Most dogs that end up in the pound are dogs with problems and they need to be treated as such. They've got to be housed properly and they often have things wrong with them that need to be attended to,'' he said.
One of the younger protesters, Abi Bull, 13, from Kaitaia, said she wanted to ''make sure dogs are getting the love and care they need''.
Chief executive Shaun Clarke told the protesters he took their message on board.
He had spent much of his previous Defence Force career in countries which at best paid lip service to democracy, ''so it's a beautiful thing that you can come out with placards and hold sway over power''.
Protester Arthur Prentice of Russell retorted: ''It's even better when power listens.'.
Rosie is a staffordshire terrier cross which spent 54 days in a council pound earlier this year. The man who adopted Rosie said the dog was emaciated and its six surviving puppies were in such poor condition he didn't think they'd survive the trip home.
