Owners of Gold Coast death-row dog Hugo appear set to quit the city after council ultimatum
THE owners of a dog on death-row for bad behaviour plan to quit the Gold Coast, according to a social media post.
Pets & wildlife
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THE owners of death row dog Hugo have been given an ultimatum – send him to Cairns or allow him to be destroyed.
And according to a post last night on the family’s ‘Save Hugo’ Facebook page - which has almost 35,000 ‘likes’ - the family now plans to quit the Gold Coast.
“We have decided as a family to sell our home and move out of this Gold Coast area completely…..we have a family member missing and it hurts. The Bitter sweet end,” the post reads.
DEATH-ROW DOG: FIGHT TO SAVE HUGO GOES VIRAL
DEATH-ROW DOG: THE TROUBLE’S NOT WITH HUGO
The Gold Coast City Council had earlier in the day notified the controversial Hope Island dog’s owners, Jack Bellinger and Lynette McIlveen, it would uphold its decision to destroy the sharpei, or allow Hugo to be exiled to state’s tropical north.
But Cairns mayor Bob Manning has refused to roll out the welcome mat, saying his far north Queensland city is “not Manus Island for recalcitrant dogs”.
Cr Manning said he did not support his city being used as a dumping ground for badly behaved animals.
“Cairns is not a boot camp for dogs and I would prefer this get sorted out within the boundaries of Gold Coast City Council.
“However, if someone were to bring a dog into the city on the back of a truck (the council) would not even know it was here and I doubt anyone would call us for permission.”
A Gold Coast council spokesman confirmed city hall had made a decision in its review of the case and said Hugo’s owner could appeal to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a further review.
Hugo’s owners were last week issued a destruction notice following more than 18 months of repeated incidents involving other dogs and neighbours.
He was voluntarily turned over to the council by his owners and an appeal for clemency sparked a social media campaign which gained more than 34,700 followers in just three days.
Ms McIlveen in a social media post last night confirmed Hugo would not return home to his family and thanked supporters.
Before the decision, she said a stay of execution for Hugo would “fill our hearts with joy”.
“We will respect the council’s decision, whatever it may be because as long as he is not put down, that is the main thing,” she said.
“Hugo is treated like a king in our home and is family to us but we are extremely hopefully from what we have heard that he would be safe
“However I would grieve if he cannot come home.”
The Bulletin earlier this week revealed the two-year-old sharpei had a rap sheet with the council dating back to March 2013.
Hugo was repeatedly impounded after reportedly attacking smaller dogs and rushing at people in Hope Island’s Charles Holm Park.
In December, council officers were told the then-unregistered dog had died, but less than a month later he was spotted again without a leash or his owners in a nearby park.
While both Mr Bellinger and Ms McIlveen admitted they had been irresponsible owners, they slammed the council for seizing the dog.
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