Call the SPCA and avoid vigilante action, says SPCA Otago executive officer Sophie McSkimming.
Anyone who believed an animal was being neglected should contact the SPCA rather than take the law into their own hands, Ms McSkimming said yesterday.
''We don't want any vigilante stuff.''
The advice came after Canterbury woman Roxanne Dadswell told the Otago Daily Times she had taken a husky named Wolf from its Kingston home because she believed its owner, Ryan Watt, was neglecting the dog.
After a tip-off, Mr Watt drove to Loburn, near Rangiora, and retrieved Wolf.
Ms McSkimming said, from the photo in the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Wolf appeared to be in ''beautiful condition''.
Ms Dadswell claimed Mr Watt had not met his obligations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and she had since reported her concerns about the dog to the SPCA.
Mr Watt said he made a formal statement to police yesterday on Wolf's disappearance. The dog was doing well, he said.
Sergeant Colin Stewart, of Rangiora, said police spoke to Ms Dadswell yesterday.
No charges had been laid and inquiries were continuing, he said.
