Raining Puppies

Long ones, short ones, soft ones, chubby ones, sad ones, happy ones, brown ones, black ones. SPCAs all over the country are bursting at the seams with puppies.



It’s Raining Puppies – we need help!


SPCAs throughout New Zealand are facing an unprecedented deluge of puppies. Centres are struggling to cope with litters of puppies dropped off to them, despite their best efforts to de sex as many dogs as they can afford to in their communities.



The SPCA is calling for councils to take a more proactive role in controlling dog populations in their areas.



Last weekend Kaitaia SPCA was presented with 30 seven-nine week old puppies, Nelson is ‘full’ with 29 pups, Taupo received 17 juveniles on Thursday and Auckland has an unseasonal overload. It is uncertain what has caused this population explosion but many SPCA centres are underwhelmed by the incentives offered by their local councils to encourage owners to de sex their dogs.



While stray and unwanted dogs over 3 months of age are the responsibility of the local authorities, SPCAs in most areas take on the juvenile animals and attempt to home them. They will be adopted already micro-chipped and de sexed, to ensure they do not perpetrate the dog population problems evident in most areas. The SPCA is asking local authorities to take a more proactive role in this part of the dog control equation.



“There are some excellent examples of proactive dog control” says Robyn Kippenberger, National CEO of the Royal New Zealand SPCA, “Dunedin City Council provides an annual fund that dog owners who hold community services cards can access to pay for de sexing their animals. They then offer a discount on registration for the rest of that dog’s life. Eleven years down the track Dunedin just doesn’t have a puppy problem. That translates to fewer issues with mature dogs – less roaming and less aggressive behaviour. It’s the difference between short and long term gains.”



“We will be approaching councils to advocate this sort of approach, along with greater differentials between registration rates for entire and de sexed dogs, lifetime registration for de sexed dogs, required permits for households to have more than one dog and payment for impounded dogs to first go towards a de sexing operation. We will also be asking vets to offer discounted rates for de sexing”, she says.



SPCA National Office runs a mobile de sexing clinic that moves throughout New Zealand offering free de sexing for cats and dogs owned by low income families.



“This is truly a community problem” says Ms Kippenberger “SPCA centres provide a vital community service – they should not be a dumping ground for unwanted animals whose existence could have been easily prevented by a relatively inexpensive operation”.


“Our message is clear. We ask those who are pet owners to please act responsibly and de-sex your animals to give them a better life and prevent future population problems.”



While SPCA centres are incredibly fortunate to have Hill’s Pet Nutrition providing high quality food to the SPCA animals and supporting their annual Second Chance for Love Adoptathon, the community can help the SPCA now by calling into their local centre to adopt or foster puppies or donate money to assist with their care.


For details of your local SPCA, please visit www.rnzspca.org.nz.

For further information, please contact:

Robyn Kippenberger

National Chief Executive

Royal New Zealand SPCA

09 827 6094

ceo@rnzspca.org.nz