Marley was living in a car with his owner, Samantha Bradley.<\/p>\n
She and her liaison, Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ general secretary Danette Wereta, learned late last month that the council\u2019s animal services team euthanised Marley on April 23, 10 days after he was impounded.<\/p>\n
In her role as a liaison for Bradley, Wereta said she contacted the council shortly after the impoundment and confirmed funds were available to pay all required fees.<\/p>\n
She said she struggled to get the council to recognise her as an authorised liaison, but after repeated requests, animal services agreed to contact Bradley on April 29.<\/p>\n
\u201cShortly thereafter, Sam phoned me in severe distress, saying she had just been told that Marley had been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ general secretary Danette Wereta. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Wereta said the council then contacted her and told her authorisation had been received, and that Marley had been euthanised on April 23 because he had not been registered within seven days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had confirmed multiple times that funds were available to pay all fees as soon as authorisation was formally acknowledged, something that was delayed solely by the pound\u2019s obstacles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wereta said she was told Marley had been deemed \u201cvicious\u201d and failed a temperament test. <\/p>\n
She said there was \u201clots of online footage showing how social Marley is\u201d.<\/p>\n
Wereta has made an official information request seeking detailed information about the process the council took before euthanising Marley, \u201cdespite clear ongoing communication\u201d. <\/p>\n
She said she had also lodged a formal complaint.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is deeply upsetting that Marley ultimately lost [his] life due to human communication failures and procedural barriers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should have been looking at the system and saying, \u2018How do we use it to support Sam?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Supporter Victoria O\u2019Sullivan said she was among those who offered to pay Marley\u2019s registration. <\/p>\n
\u201cFrom Sam\u2019s Facebook posts \u2026 I can see that he is very well-cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tauranga’s Samantha Bradley was living in her car at Sulphur Point. Photo \/ Ayla Yeoman<\/p>\n
Bradley said in a public Facebook livestream on May 5 that she was \u201cnever going to register the dog\u201d.<\/p>\n
She acknowledged people offered to help with the fee, but said it was \u201cirrelevant\u201d because other local homeless people did not get the same offer.<\/p>\n
Bradley said Marley was social and often played with children, and she questioned how he failed the temperament test.<\/p>\n
She said she was seeking legal advice.<\/p>\n
\u2018Exceptionally aggressive\u2019<\/p>\n
Tauranga City Council said in an unattributed statement that the Animal Services team approached the matter with care and compassion, and plenty of time was given\u202fto\u202flook at other options.<\/p>\n
The council said Bradley and Marley became known to the team after repeated complaints about dogs at Sulphur Point. <\/p>\n
It said dog owners there were given many opportunities to register their dogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarley had not been registered for around nine years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The council said when Marley was seized using a search warrant, a written notice was left explaining why he was taken, and that if he was not claimed and fees paid within seven days, the council could lawfully rehome, sell, euthanise, or otherwise dispose of the dog.<\/p>\n
Samantha Bradley after council staff and police took Marley from her on April 13. Photo \/ Ayla Yeoman<\/p>\n
The council confirmed it received several offers from the public willing to help pay the outstanding fees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile these offers were well-intentioned, we could not accept them without the necessary information from\u202fSamantha\u202fto legally register the dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
The council said Bradley declined to provide that information or have Marley registered to someone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe acknowledged the possibility that the dog could be rehomed or euthanised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the seven\u2011day legal holding period had passed, animal services assessed if he could be safely adopted, but found he was unsuitable because he had \u201can exceptionally aggressive temperament\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter careful\u202fconsideration, the decision was made to humanely euthanise Marley.\u201d<\/p>\n
The council said the decision was reviewed and carried out in line with the law, council policy and standard procedures.<\/p>\n
Tauranga Dog Pound. Photo \/ Kelly O’Hara<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was not a decision taken lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n
It said the public and Government expected councils to use the Dog Control Act to manage aggressive dogs and ongoing\u202fnon\u2011compliance, while also considering animal welfare and public safety.\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cBalancing\u202four\u202fenforcement responsibilities with compassion is something\u202fwe\u202ftake extremely seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
It acknowledged the outcome would be \u201cvery upsetting for many people\u201d.<\/p>\n
The council said the animal services officers cared deeply about animal welfare and understood people\u2019s\u202femotional\u202fconnection\u202fto their pets. <\/p>\n
They encouraged dog owners experiencing hardship to contact the council early, and the team would try to find solutions.<\/p>\n
Donations for registrations<\/p>\n
Organisations working with homeless people in Tauranga have suggested anyone wanting to help can donate to the Community Vet Charitable Trust.<\/p>\n
The trust was set up to provide animal care \u2013 vaccinations, desexing, flea and worm treatments \u2013 for people experiencing housing insecurity or financial hardship.<\/p>\n
Under The Stars volunteer Ani Stace. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Under The Stars volunteer Ani Stace said the organisation worked with the trust, which recently started funding dog registrations. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe respect that that is what the council requires. People should register their dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stace said the trust received $700 of donations within the first 48 hours of asking its supporters.<\/p>\n
Awhina House co-chairwoman Angela Wallace said this initiative was \u201ca great outcome of this awful situation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Donations could help avoid pets being removed from homeless owners.<\/p>\n
Awhina House co-chairwoman Angela Wallace. <\/p>\n
Wallace said a woman worried her two dogs would be taken after hearing Bradley\u2019s story had received help to get them registered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt must be quite a lonely situation being homeless \u2013 having an animal, a companion animal, can offer a level of comfort,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
A dog could also help with personal safety, especially for women.<\/p>\n
\u2013 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.<\/p>\n