EDITORIAL: Get it right next time
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FRESH from a “death row” reprieve, a much-loved pet has had an emotional reunion with his family.
Ljubisa Stanic and his son, Andrej, picked up Sonny yesterday following a saga lasting almost three months.
Sonny had been picked up by the Wodonga Council ranger on September 26 and was due to be put down after being declared a restricted breed under state law.
Mr Stanic was overwhelmed after collecting Sonny from the Melrose Animal Hospital following a successful hearing before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Click play on the video below to see Ljubisa and Andrej's reunion with Sonny. (iPhone users go to video tab in menu)
Sonny ran over and licked his owner after seeing him for the first time in almost 80 days.
“There were heaps of emotions running through my mind,” Mr Stanic said.
“I never thought I’d see him again.
“He’s not meant to be here, they were going to kill him.
“I’m still in a little bit of shock from it all.”
It was the first time Mr Stanic and Andrej had seen their beloved dog since he was taken to the pound.
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he said.
Mr Stanic said Sonny — who he says is a French mastiff cross — had never been aggressive, but he had mistakenly not registered him.
He spent thousands of dollars fighting to free his pet and have him back with the family.
Wodonga Council did not comment on what it had cost to fight the case, but environment and community protection manager Mark Verbaken said an agreement had been reached with Mr Stanic.
“As part of the consent order filed with VCAT, the dog has to be desexed,” he said.
“The owner will be responsible for the payment of infringements for the dog being at large and unregistered and for the pound release fee.
“The dog also had to be registered before being returned to its owner.”
The council recognised the difficulty in classifying Sonny’s breed.