A long-running battle over a barking dog on McDonald St has finally come to an end.
Neighbours who have complained about the Staffy American and French bulldog cross, named Nico, barking and howling, are relieved he has been voluntarily relinquished to the district council.
The district council is now planning for Nico to be rehomed.
Neighbour Christine Sanderson said it was ‘‘wonderful news’’.
‘‘I’m thrilled for the dog and everybody else concerned,’’ she said.
Another neighbour who has also repeatedly complained to the district council, but does not want to be named, said he and his wife were also pleased.
‘‘We hope the dog ends up with a loving family that gives him the attention that is needed,’’ he said.
Group manager compliance and development Ian Hyde said the district council had made the offer of rehoming to the dog’s owner ‘‘as a way to facilitate a solution to this long-standing matter’’.
The dog’s owner, Sami Palavi, had accepted the offer.
‘‘While we wouldn’t normally receive a dog this way, we’ll begin the process of rehoming it with the help of DogWatch in Christchurch,’’ Hyde said.
Palavi said he had relinquished Nico because he was moving to a rental property in Christchurch, where he was not allowed to have pets.
‘‘I love him and my kids love him too, it’s very sad for us to let him go,’’ Palavi said.
He owned the Ashburton home where he was now living, and thought he might one day return and perhaps even get Nico back.
Both Palavi and the district council maintain Nico has not caused a noise nuisance by excessive barking and howling. District council staff and their animal control officers have visited the neighbourhood more than 200 times to monitor noise since March last year.
In January this year, Christine was trespassed by the district council’s animal control contractor Talbot Security Group from outside the business’s premises when she played a recording of the dog through a bluetooth speaker she was holding.
She wanted the district council to issue an abatement notice to the dog’s owner, which would have forced him to take action to stop the barking.
Christine learned for the first time about the dog no longer being at the address when The Ashburton Courier contacted her on Monday.
She had noticed the dog wasn’t there over the weekend, but was not sure where it had gone.
Meanwhile, a complaint from Christine about the alleged inaction on behalf of the district council remains before the Ombudsman.
