A protest march to Kapiti Coast District Council ended in tears this afternoon as a final effort failed to save local dog Beau, who was placed on death row in 2012.
Beau, a great dane-staffordshire terrier cross, has been in the pound for more than two years after biting a doberman on the leg in a Raumati South park as well as some other altercations.
Council prosecuted owner Julie Snodgrass which led to a district court sentencing the dog to death. Snodgrass appealed to the High Court but this failed as did her attempt to seek a judicial review.
Costing ratepayers an estimated $30,000, Beau received a rally of local support from animal advocates claiming he was unfairly sentenced, through an online Justice for Beau campaign.
National animal welfare organisation Helping You Help Animals (HUHA) led today's protest, which started at noon outside Kapiti Pak 'n Save and ended at council headquarters around 1.45pm.
During the event, protesters held signs against council windows and chanted for Beau's release. Inside, Kapiti Mayor Ross Church held an hour-long private meeting with HUHA members.
Re-emerging from the building, the mayor delivered a statement, saying Beau's destruction had been imminent after last week's judicial review was dismissed.
An upset campaign organiser Carolyn Press-McKenzie said she believed council had not completed necessary procedures.
"If they were unhappy with the dog in the community, they should have given it a menacing classification, which would have seen it wearing a muzzle.
"They can't just uplift and kill someone's pet without going through the process they've put in place themselves."
She said the mayor "seemed genuine and torn but he wasn't moving on policy procedure".
"We discussed how we felt in how they'd handled it, and we were definitely poles apart."
HUHA members hoped today's event would highlight the importance of people understanding their responsibility as dog owners.
"This wasn't a bad dog, it was a dog that's been let down."
An outraged Kerry Bolton, of Paraparaumu, whose voice was evident among the 200-odd crowd, said several protesters had met Beau, including himself, who visited the pound every Thursday.
"He's been nothing but friendly to everyone."
- Cloe Willetts of the Kapiti News
