Dog-owner ‘devastated’
Woman says Gem put down hours after her rehoming
Awoman is devastated after giving up her beloved dog for a better home — only to learn it was euthanised hours later. Wellington residents Kathryn and Dan Cretney adopted female rottweiler Gem, 15 months, from Furever Homes.
They enlisted help from trainers, a qualified behavourist, and took the animal to obedience classes to get what they described as Gem’s “nervous behaviour” under control. They also took Gem to a dog group three days a week to help her socialise.
But last month they decided Gem might benefit from more experienced owners who had more time and could manage her better.
Gem was also being bullied by their other dog, Ace.
“She was fine, she was just nervous. All she just needed was time and better management and I thought they would be experts and do it better than us,” Kathryn Cretney said.
Furever Homes helped her find a new owner in the South Island. The couple travelled across to Picton last Tuesday to hand Gem over to the woman, who had driven up from Fairlie in Canterbury.
Cretney said she was open about Gem’s issues and provided Furever Homes with three pages of details about the animal, including how eye contact made her nervous.
But when Gem first met her new owner, she lunged and snapped at her. Cretney said she asked her if she was still okay with it and the woman said she was. But six hours later, Cretney got a text from the woman saying Gem had attacked her again and she had left the dog with Furever Homes in Nelson.
Furever Homes told her that night that Gem had been put down.
Cretney said she would have taken Gem back if it didn’t work out.
But the new owner, who did not want to be named, told the Herald she felt unsafe in the dog’s presence after it lunged at her and “muzzle punched” her in the face twice. She said the dog kept growling at her and baring its teeth. “I didn’t feel safe.” Simon Claver of Furever Homes said they assessed the dog and decided it could not be rehabilitated so it was euthanised.
“While in Furever Homes care it has actually bitten a male and it was so aggressive in the car on the way home to Fairlie that it was felt the young lady couldn’t continue to drive the dog . . . the only fair thing to do to the dog and the people concerned was to have the poor animal put down.” Claver said euthanasia was the agency’s last resort. “It’s only done when there is nothing else that can be done and everything has been tried.” He said Cretney had sent 50 to 60 texts to Furever Homes’ chairperson. But Cretney said she was trying to get answers and awaited an apology.
HFor a video, go to nzherald.co.nz