A good samaritan act has turned sour for an Invercargill couple who have been hit with a $750 fine for their part in the rescue of a lost puppy.
Sue Hedges said her elderly neighbour found the bichon-maltese cross on Sunday.
Unable to look after it, the neighbour gave the puppy to Mrs Hedges and her husband Grant, who tried to find its owner.
Mrs Hedges left her contact details with three vet clinics, Invercargill City Council, the SPCA and several businesses, trying to find dog's owner.
Yesterday she said she wished she had bypassed the city council after animal control officers came to her home on Tuesday to seize the dog.
Afraid the pup would be hurt if he was caged with larger, more aggressive dogs, Mrs Hedges refused to hand over the dog, asking if she could instead keep it until the owners came forward.
She was then cited for "wilful obstruction of a dog control officer" and fined $750.
"We thought we were doing a good turn," she told the Southland Times.
Yesterday, city councillor Lindsay Abbott said it appeared the council's approach was heavy-handed and he would try to get the bill rescinded.
City council environmental and planning services director William Watt said he was unaware of the incident, but the council was authorised under the Dog Control Act to seize and impound lost or stray dogs.
