Sally the Greyhound

WE HAVE SAVED HER BUT AT A FINANCIAL COST. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST UPDATE.

Sally ( Miss Idol) was a racing greyhound with a great record. Her last race she won with a fractured hock and after this accident, she was put out to the breeding pen where she raised over 40 pups. Her home for that 5 years was an outside kennel in a small enclosed yard.

She was retired from the breeding pen mid 2016 and bought up to Auckland so that she could spend her final years as a much pampered pet. She entered into pet life without putting a paw wrong and was a much loved member of a family with 11 year old triplets who walked her every day.

On the 24th October 2016, Sally pushed open a gate and went wondering. In the course of her adventure, she entered a property and encountered a cat. Unfortunately, the cat died as a result of the encounter. Animal control was called and Sally was taken away.

In brief, her case was pleaded, but Animal Control would not make a decision re the outcome as the cat’s owner was adamant that Sally be euthanized and the “irresponsible owner” taught a lesson. Animal Control felt that the fairest thing would be for it to go to court. The staff were quite happy in Sally being released to a property where there were cats in residence, while we waited for dates.

This duly happened. Jo pleaded guilty to being responsible for Sally getting off the property and a sentencing date was set. Through all this, Sally was quite happily cohabiting on a property with cats, chickens and other small animals, all the while showing no inclination to attack.

We had it on good authority that because of this and the ample evidence we could supply, that the likely outcome would be a fine and possibly a reclassification as a dangerous dog.

Imagine our shock when we received paperwork 2 days before the hearing in which the lawyer for the Council was asking for a destruction order to be placed on Sally.

Because of this, we asked for a delay in sentencing so that we could consult a lawyer.

Jo has had custody of her niece’s 11-year-old triplets since they were 10 months old. She works from home managing a charitable Trust that deals with teaching illiterate Kiwis and it is only in the last 18 months that she has earned a wage for 30 hours a week. There is no way that she can afford a lawyer and although she has applied for legal aid, she has been told that it will not be forthcoming because there is no prison sentence involved in the case.

I am asking for help please so that we can engage a lawyer to fight this very unjust decision.

Sally is now 9 and surely has earned the right to live out the remainder of her life in a loving home.