Willie the dog has been reunited with his rightful owner but it came with a cost.

Eastern Passage resident Earl Shadbolt paid $1260 to get his dog back.

After fire gutted his home in April, Earl gave Willie to acquaintance to care for, but when he moved back into his house in August the woman refused to give Willie up, threatening to sell him unless she was paid.

Animal Rescue got involved and brokered a deal. While Earl is glad to be reunited again with Willie, he's not real happy about paying.

"I didn't like it because when someone volunteers to do something and you go down an you help them out and do a lot of work for them, and one good favour would offset the other.

Animal Rescue's Annette Armitage says Willie was well cared for.

"He'd recently seen a vet, he's in great shape, he's a great dog, he's doing well," says Armitage.

She wants to see the law that right now treats animals as property changed so that not just anyone can sell them.