Ljubisa Stanic’s dog Sonny, which he says is a French mastiff cross, was seized by a Wodonga Council ranger on September 26 while wandering on Moonya Drive.

Mr Stanic had previously had the dog microchipped as a French mastiff cross, but said he mistakenly hadn’t registered him.

The dog was later assessed and determined to be an American pit bull terrier, which is a restricted breed under state law.

The dog had been due to be put down tomorrow, but Mr Stanic appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal which has put a temporary halt to its death.

“I made the mistake of not registering him, but that doesn’t mean he should die for no reason,” Mr Stanic said.

“They sent me a letter saying they think he’s a pit bull, but they haven’t said why they think that.

“They just want to kill him for no reason.

“He’s a family pet.”

Mr Stanic said Sonny was not aggressive and had never bitten or been aggressive to anyone.

He fully trusted the dog to be near his nine-year-old son Andrej and said friends trusted Sonny around even younger children.

“To tell you the truth I’m just emotionally drained,” Mr Stanic said.

“I’m upset and my son’s upset because he can’t see his best mate.

“We hope for the best, that’s all we can do.”

Mr Stanic has hired a lawyer in a bid to save the 20-month-old dog.

“He has put an application in to VCAT,” he said.

“He’s fighting for him.”

The council said it would not comment as there were legal proceedings under way.

The Australian Veterinary Association and RSPCA have expressed opposition to breed-specific laws being introduced.