A man in New Zealand who cooked his pet dog will not be charged as it is legal to do so.

Paea Taufu, a Tongan-born man living in Auckland New Zealand was in the process of roasting his pitbull terrier-cross in a traditional Umu pit-barbecue when animal protection inspectors arrived to investigate.

They were called by a concerned member of the public on Sunday but arrived too late for the animal.

Dog meat is considered an acceptable fare in Tonga. "Dog, horse, we eat it in Tonga. It's good food for us," said Lupi Taufu, Paea's wife.

Under New Zealand's Animal Welfare Act it is legal to kill a dog providing the slaughter is done quickly and painlessly.

But the local Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has criticised the actions. "I find it quite disturbing that someone would kill a pet and then eat it. I'm not okay with that but unfortunately the law allows you to do it," SPCA Inspector Derek Haddy told reporters.

Taufu was not aware that he was doing something uncommon in New Zealand but indicated he would not kill another dog to avoid offending anyone in the future.

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