A $750 fine given to an Invercargill couple who rescued a lost puppy has been waived following a public outcry.
Sue Hedges and her husband took in a lost bichon-maltese cross and spent two days going between vet clinics, the Invercargill City Council and the SPCA trying to track down its owner.
When an animal control officer came to her home to seize the dog on Tuesday, Mrs Hedges refused to hand over the dog , saying she was afraid it would be hurt if it was caged with bigger and more aggressive dogs.
She was cited for "wilful obstruction of a dog control officer" and fined $750.
The story, which appeared in The Southland Times yesterday, sparked a flurry of public condemnation about the council's animal control policy
Two council representatives, including environmental and planning services director William Watt, visited Mrs Hedges yesterday to collect the dog and waive the fine.
Mr Watt said while the officer's actions had been "technically correct", there could have been an error of judgment.
"They are human. Occasionally they make the wrong (decision)," he said.
Mrs Hedges said she was pleased the fine had been waived, but the incident highlighted the need for the council to look at its animal control policy.
"We were treated as criminals," she said. "There's definitely something wrong."
The dog was reunited with its owner yesterday.
