The Tokoroa Pound has accidentally killed the wrong dog, but not for the first time - with a previous victim being offered a $200 Warehouse voucher and a Crunchie bar as reparation.

In the most recent case the dog, known as Balls, was picked up by South Waikato District Council dog control officers while it was roaming the streets earlier in July.

Staff had arranged with its owner to send Balls home, but it was given the lethal injection in error.

"This error is completely council's fault," regulatory manager Sharon Robinson said.

"It resulted from a breakdown in process when hard copy records were not updated as per the electronic records that indicated a payment plan to have the dog returned, had been agreed with the owner."

Balls was killed based on the hard copy records, without checks made with either the electronic system or other staff, to see if any new update had occurred, she said.

Dog owner Newa Winikerei posted on the Genuine Tokoroa Facebook Page on July 17 saying: "R.I.P.my boy accidently put dwn Gona miss u my boy and always luv u may u rest with ur mum kernal love u."

The post received more than 130 comments including responses from Winikerei.

She said she had contacted the council and made arrangements to pay the $300 collection fee.

"...he was due to come home until they realised they put the wrong dog down."

The post brought back tragic memories for Rob Luatua and former partner Jamie-Rae Takiri.

Luatua said their dog Vato was accidentally killed by Tokoroa pound staff about two years ago.

He said his family went on a trip to Auckland and returned to find someone had let Vato out of the garage.

The pair went to the pound to pick him up on a Tuesday only to find they were short by $20.

"She [the pound worker] forgot to write it down in the book that we had paid [$150] and that we would be back on Thursday to pick him up," Takiri said.

They returned two days later with $20 and four dog rolls but they were too late.

"The first option they gave us was to go and pick another dog. I said 'I don't want any of those dogs, I want our dog back," Takiri said.

A few days later another staff member dropped off a $200 Warehouse voucher and a Crunchie bar, she said.

"It didn't seem very sincere…it seemed like a bribe not to go any further."

She said her heart went out to Winikerei.

"We know how it feels…we lost someone in our family. I just hope it doesn't happen again."

Robinson said the council had been in contact with Winikerei.

"We apologise both to the owner and our community for this terrible error.

"We are very aware that an incident of this magnitude can call our credibility into question and for that too we apologise."

Council was working with Winikerei to make amends and had offered reparation options for her consideration.

Robinson said they were reviewing their processes to ensure that no other dogs were accidentally killed again.

In the 2013-14 year the South Waikato District Council impounded 600 dogs.

Roughly 240 of those were put down.