A tense meeting of the municipal pound board on May 10 resulted in good news for Scooby, a surrendered dog being held in the pound.

The meeting wrapped up a short week of drama for municipal staff and councillors who were called on to save the dog, now in their care.

The dog was surrendered to the municipal dog pound as a Staffordshire bull terrier cross by his owner, a senior who was no longer able to house the long-time family pet.

The dog has no history of aggression and was only surrendered because the owner was moving to a location that did not allow dogs.

According to local dog rescue Home Again vice president Gail Burstyn, the dog was surrendered under the understanding that he was adoptable. Home Again also believe the dog is a Mastiff cross and not a pit bull.

But when the dog arrived at the pound, he was going to be euthanized because he was assumed to be a pit bull and assumed to be a prohibited breed.

This caused a frenzy of calls and emails across North Hastings as the job of saving Scooby took on a sense of urgency.

"As this dog is nine-years-old, whether he is a Mastiff cross or falls under the pit bull definitions, this dog was born before the Dog Owners Liability Act (DOLA) came into effect and he is therefore grandfathered," Burstyn explained in a letter sent to the board. "He is therefore a restricted breed and not a prohibited breed."

Home Again suggested as long as an owner abides by the restrictions laid out in the act the dog can be adopted and does not have to be destroyed.

With information from Home Again as well as legal advice, the pound board convened a special meeting on May 10 and after an hour in closed session, they welcomed members of the animal advocacy community into the chambers at the Faraday municipal office.

Scooby would live.

"We have to look at the wellbeing of the dog and that's why the dog has not been destroyed," explained Marg Nicholson.

After discussion with Home Again the board made it clear that they could only release the dog to a new owner- not to an organization as requested by Home Again. That said, the board decided to let Home Again screen for a potential owner and would follow the rescue's recommendation on placement.

Scooby will be safely housed at the municipal pound until a new owner is found.