Macey was destroyed by the Burdekin Shire Council after a three-month legal battle with owner Jacqueline Hartwell. Source: The Courier-Mail
A NORTH Queensland single mother says her family's pet dog was put down, despite council staff giving her an extension to pay pound fees she owed - and she wants her money back.
Jacqueline Hartwell, of Ayr, said her two children were heartbroken at the loss of their pet and she now owed more than $1700 she had borrowed to release bull arab Macey from death row.
She said her children had been excited when they thought they could take their dog home after three months in the pound; instead, they went home in tears on April 3.
"They had balloons and streamers set up for Macey at home," Ms Hartwell said.
Burdekin Shire Council chief executive Ken Holt said he had no regrets about destroying the "dangerous dog" that had been involved in killing a neighbour's chihuahua.
The council seized Macey three months ago after Ms Hartwell failed to post dangerous dog signs, microchip the dog or pay registration fees.
She went to Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which said she could get Macey back if she paid $1934 by 4pm on April 2.
Ms Hartwell said on the deadline day she paid $900 of the $1556 still owed for pound fees.
"I said to the girls on the counter 'Can I pay the final $650 tomorrow morning?' and they made some calls and said it was OK, as long as I paid by 10am," she said.
Ms Hartwell said after she arrived at 9am and paid $650 she was told she could not get Macey back. She said Mr Holt came to the foyer and said: "The dog's dead."
Mr Holt denied that claim, saying he only told her she would not get the dog back because she had failed to meet the deadline. He said it was only later that day that he ordered the dog to be put down and she still owed the council money.
"This is a woman who should never have dogs," Mr Holt said.
Ms Hartwell has hired a lawyer to recover the money she paid.
