Whether a dog made its own Hairy Houdini-style escape from Wanaka's pound yesterday or was assisted by someone on the outside is a matter the town's police want the public's help in solving.
Constable Greg Nolet said the dog disappeared from the pound on the corner of Ballantyne and Riverbank Rds sometime between 11.30am, when an animal control officer brought the animal back from a walk and then left the pound, and 1.30pm, when the officer returned.
The dog had ''somehow'' left the building through a window about 1.2m off the ground, which had been left open to air the building, and over a 1.8m-high fence bordering the pound's outdoors area.
''He's either been taken or he's been assisted,'' Const Nolet said.
''Dogs are pretty clever at climbing sometimes. It would be different if it was a chihuahua.''
The missing dog had since been located at a Wanaka address and a person living there had been spoken to regarding their involvement in the incident.
Police wanted to hear from any members of the public who had either noticed any activity at the pound or had spotted a ''short-haired, tan, small bull mastiff with a red collar ... wandering down the road towards Wanaka town'' during the two hours in question, Const Nolet said.
The dog had been at the pound for a couple of days and discussions had been under way with one of its two part-owners regarding the cost of having it released, as well as with a third person who had been looking after the dog when it was impounded.
