The Animal
Guardian
ISSUE 11 - AUGUST 2014
Protecting Auckland’s Animals
Leg hold trap almost claims another victim
Poppy, a gorgeous 1 year old tabby, was
brought to SPCA Auckland after a member
of the public took her to a local after hours
clinic. They had noticed her around their
neighbourhood, but hadn’t seen her for
a couple of weeks. When she did come
around again, she was limping badly. It
was then that they made the gruesome
discovery that her back foot was missing.
Although we cannot be certain, the injury
to her foot is consistent with a leg hold
trap. The pain she would have endured, it’s
hard to imagine. She had walked around for
days, maybe even a week, critically injured.
These traps are cruel, and if it was within
a residential area, illegal.
Despite asking neighbours, no one knew
who Poppy belonged to. Sadly it seems
that Poppy had no family to care for her.
Every day she was growing weaker. She
was all alone, and if she had been left much
longer, she would have died alone.
When Poppy arrived at the SPCA Auckland
hospital she was immediately seen by
a vet. Her back leg was severely infected
– a life threatening situation for such
a young cat. She required immediate
surgery, and our experienced team made
the decision to amputate her back leg.
Thanks to supporters like you, we could
give Poppy the expert veterinary care she
desperately needed. She made it through
the surgery, but her journey to recovery
was only just beginning.
During the colder months it is always
hard to think of the stray cats and dogs
in Auckland, sheltering wherever they
can, trying to find a warm spot in the wet,
cold weather. It’s harder still to know that
some of these animals have been critically
injured, and still they have no one to care
for them. It's sad to think that without
SPCA Auckland, and supporters like you,
Poppy would have died, and no one would
have known that she was gone.
The good news is that thanks to people
like you and your support of our hospital
team, Poppy was rescued. She received
the surgery she needed to save her life,
and is now recuperating with a loving
foster family. Here she will have a safe
and loving environment in which to
recover from her surgery, and gain some
much needed confidence around people.
Finally she has a warm bed and shelter,
and she doesn’t have to scavenge for her
dinner. Once she is ready, she will come
back to the Village and look for a loving
new home.
Without you we wouldn’t have been able
to rescue Poppy, and save her life. Your
donations mean that we can help save
more animals like Poppy who live on the
streets of Auckland. Together we can give
them the love and care they deserve, and
give them a second chance to find loving
new homes.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Finding their forever home
Odin, Sadie and Bruce find
new homes.
SPCA Cupcake Day
Prevent animal cruelty
with cupcakes!
Improving the adoption experience
SPCA Auckland’s newly renovated
reception area.
Finding
their
forever
home
Odin enjoys a chin rub
from his new owner Iain
As an SPCA supporter you are helping
to make a real difference to the lives of
animals like Odin, Sadie and Bruce. Your
support means that we can rescue animals
in their time of need, give them medical
care, a warm bed and shelter, and help
them find loving new homes.
Here are the stories of three animals, who
thanks to you, are happy, healthy and in
loving new homes.
One-Eyed Jack
You may recognise One-Eyed Jack (now
known as Odin) from the cover of our last
newsletter. Odin came to us as a tiny kitten
suffering from cat flu. When he arrived he
was so small he could fit in the palm of our
vet nurse’s hand. Odin required surgery for
his eye, but sadly post op complications
meant that SPCA vets had to remove his
eye. After recovering out at foster care Odin
was ready to start his new life, and was
adopted by Iain and Louise.
Bruce
Bruce
Sadie
Odin (centre) with Yoshimi & Scully
Odin took a little while to settle in with his
two step-sisters Yoshimi and Scully who
were also adopted from SPCA Auckland.
Iain tells us that Scully is still firmly the
boss of the house, but Yoshimi has taken
Odin under her wing and the two of them
wrestle, share and play together happily.
Most recently she has been escorting him
in to the garden to make sure his first trips
outside are all okay.
Louise tells us now that Odin has settled
in, he is a very sociable, talkative cat who
loves to be part of the action. She says he
is an excellent neck warmer who loves to
curl up on your shoulder and watch the
world go by.
Sadie
Looking at Sadie’s happy face, you would
never know she had such a hard start to
life. She first came to SPCA Auckland after
she was found with her 6 brothers and
sisters in a pillow case on the side of the
road. They were just one of several litters
of pups that were dumped and left to die
this winter. Thankfully for Sadie and her
brothers and sisters, a caring passerby
noticed the pillowcase and brought them
to the animal hospital – only 5 kms from
where they were found.
Sadie was adopted by Anna and her family
in late July. She has settled in well, even
getting on with their cats – usually. She loves
to cuddle with the kids, and has just started
to learn the delights of chasing a ball!
Bruce came to SPCA Auckland after he made
a bid for freedom by jumping off the back of
a truck that was travelling on an Auckland
motorway. He was rescued by some kind
people who were on their way to the Bruce
Springsteen concert.
Miraculously Bruce suffered only a few
minor scrapes and bumps and after a 4 week
stay on the SPCA farm, he was ready for his
next adventure – finding a forever home.
Madeline had recently adopted Cookie the
pig from SPCA Auckland when she saw
Bruce on the website. Both pigs had got on
well with Chester the resident Kune kune,
so Madeline was keen to give Bruce a home.
Cookie and Bruce quickly became fast
friends and they love spending their days
together out in the field. Despite having
their own individual shelters, Madeline tells
us that they enjoy squeezing into just one,
sleeping together each night.
Animal Agenda Aotearoa campaign aims
to improve animal welfare laws
Many of you will have seen that the Animal
Welfare Act 1999 is under review. Our
campaign Animal Agenda Aotearoa is a list
of the 10 most important animal welfare
items, necessary for a more compassionate
New Zealand.
As an SPCA supporter, we know that you are
passionate about improving animal welfare
in New Zealand, and like us, you are appalled
that many barbaric and inhumane practices
are still allowed under the law.
The Animal Agenda has 10 main points
covering law changes needed to improve
the lives of animals, including banning
factory farming, imposing harsher
sentences for animal cruelty, prohibiting
surgical mutilation and banning the use of
animals for testing.
We have contacted each of the political
parties, asking for their animal welfare
policies and which points on the agenda
they supported.
You can read more about the 10 agenda
items and each parties response on our
website www.spca.org.nz
We're calling for a ba
on factory farming n
MARCH TO BAN
FACTORY FARMING
On July 26 SPCA Auckland joined SAFE, Farmwatch and other
animal welfare groups to protest the Government’s lack of action
on enforcing a ban on factory farming. Together we marched up
Queen Street in the central city, demanding an end to factory
farming in New Zealand.
y farming
March against factor
SPCA Inspectors link shocking death
of 10 puppies to home tail docking
Ten Rottweiler puppies had to be euthanised
on humane grounds after Waitakere man
Fiaz Khan tried to dock their tails with
fishing line.
In May 2013 SPCA Auckland Inspectors
were called to examine 10, three week old
puppies and their mother. Around the base
of each puppy’s tail a loop of fishing line had
been tightly tied, partially severing each
tail. The wounds were severely infected
causing significant pain and distress.
It is only thanks to supporters like you that
our Inspectors were able to rescue these
animals in their time of need, and get them
the veterinary treatment they desperately
needed.
The puppies were seized and brought to the
SPCA Auckland hospital for immediate vet
attention. Unfortunately, because of the
placement of the fishing line, surgical
correction was not possible, and the puppies
would have been permanently incontinent.
and even through it is hard, in this case
ending their suffering was the kindest thing
we could do.
Fishing line around puppy's tail
The infections were also so advanced that
there was serious doubt that they could be
controlled. After consultations with two
other vets, the difficult decision was make
that it was would be inhumane to attempt
to operate and they should be humanely
euthanized to prevent further pain and
suffering.
This is always one of the hardest decisions
for our vets to make. The welfare of the
animal is always the most important thing,
In June 2014 Fiaz Khan was convicted of
wilful ill-treatment of animals causing pain
or distress. He was sentenced to 5 months
community detention, 18 months intensive
supervision and was disqualified from
owning dogs for 10 years.
New Zealand law allows the docking
of dogs’ tails for purely cosmetic
reasons. As part of the Animal
agenda we are calling for a ban
on surgical mutilation of animals.
You can read more about the
campaign at www.spca.org.nz
Free desexing events target critical
cat over-population areas
This is the first
time we have
been able to offer
several desexing
events in a short
space of time.
Desexing has always been a key priority for
SPCA Auckland. Each year we are inundated
with thousands of homeless young kittens
that are born to stray mothers. The problem
can be overwhelming at times, and puts
immense strain on staff, volunteers and our
limited resources.
Between June 23 and July 4, SPCA Auckland
ran the second of a series of free desexing
events, targeting 7 key suburbs in Auckland.
“When we reviewed the source of our
incoming cats and kittens, we found that
50% of them came from just 14 Auckland
suburbs” says Laetetia Roeslofse, Desexing
Project Manager. “We have started at the
top of that list, targeting the biggest
problem areas, and are slowly working our
way down”.
The event was also supported by a number
of local vet clinics, and as a result, a total of
707 cats and kittens were desexed.
“Previously we have run free desexing
events every other year, when the national
desexing caravan was available. Our new
strategy has allowed us to run the events
within the hospital, and our collaboration
with local vets means that even more cats
and kittens can be desexed. It means we can
make an even greater impact, within a
shorter time period.
SPCA vet Sally performs a dese
xing operation
Thanks to the generous support of our
donors, we will be able to run another 3
desexing events in the coming 12 months.
This is in addition to desexing all of the
companion animals that come to SPCA
Auckland each year.
This is the first time we have been able
to offer several desexing events in a short
space of time.
It is exciting to be able to really focus on this
issue – something that simply couldn’t have
happened without our wonderful supporters.
By intensively targeting these key problem
areas, we hope to see a significant reduction
in the number of kittens born unwanted
and unloved” says Laetetia.
Education pilot program
changing the way our
children understand,
think and feel about
animal welfare
The start of the new school term has
seen 8 Auckland schools piloting our new
animal welfare education resources. These
resources are uniquely designed to integrate
animal welfare into the New Zealand
Curriculum. This means that animal welfare
is not yet ‘another thing’ for busy teachers
to fit into the school day.
We hope that by providing a real-life
meaningful context in which to apply and
learn these subjects, students will develop
their knowledge and understanding about
animal wellbeing. The resources cover
concepts such as - the five freedoms,
animals as sentient beings, responsible
pet ownership and animal welfare issues;
within reading, writing, maths, science,
technology, social sciences, health and the
arts curriculum areas.
We are very privileged to have the support
of an influential group of teachers and
principals eager to trial our innovative
resource with their students. By working
with schools in this way, we aim to reach
a whole generation of New Zealanders,
encouraging the humane treatment of
animals among future adults. These young
people also have the potential to spread key
animal welfare messages effectively among
the rest of the population.
Giltrap Group keeping our Inspectors
on the road
Thanks to the extremely generous grant
from the the Giltrap Charitable Trust, we
have received 4 new Inspectorate vans,
helping to keep our Inspectors on the road,
rescuing animals in need. “We knew the
time was coming when we would have
to replace our Inspectorate vans” says
Christine Kalin, CEO.
“It is a large, but necessary expense, so we
approached the Giltrap Charitable Trust to
see if they could help us source the vehicles.
We were amazed when they came back to
us and said they would donate 4 new vans.
Their generosity will not only mean that
our Inspectors have new vehicles, but it
also means that more money can be put
in to saving the lives of Auckland’s animals
in need.
“We are extremely grateful to the Giltrap
Group for their invaluable support. People
often forget that the SPCA is a charity
and without the generous support of the
Auckland community and businesses like
Giltrap, we simply couldn’t continue the
vital rescue work we do.”
Michael Giltrap with
Christine Kalin, CEO
and SPCA Inspectors
The generosity of
the Giltrap Charitabl
e
Trust has been
amazing
Renovation to improve adoption experience
But because we’re a charity and completely
dependent on donations, we couldn’t
undertake this renovation without the
staunch support of a number of key
companies who donated products and
services to make it happen.
This project would not have been
possible without the generous
support of:
Gordon Trainer, Christine Kalin, Patrick Crawley
(Hills Science Diet) & Bob Kerridge in new
reception area.
If you are looking to adopt an animal, our
SPCA Auckland Animal Village will now
greet you with a totally revamped reception
area and shop.
SPCA Auckland’s reception area has been
completely renovated thanks to generous
donations of materials and expertise from
local businesses. The area was last
renovated sometime in the 1980s and had
been plagued with major leaks, draughts,
and even rats.
“It’s now a much lighter, brighter, more
welcoming space for visitors and staff alike,”
says SPCA Auckland CEO Christine Kalin.
“And we’re looking forward to a winter
without buckets and towels on the floor to
catch the drips.
SPCA Auckland is all about saving and
re-homing Auckland’s lost, abandoned, and
abused animals – and providing a welcoming
environment for people seeking to adopt
animals is vital to our work.
• Hills Science Diet
• ACR Reroofing
• Alaska Interiors
• Dulux New Zealand
• Forbo Flooring Systems
• Spaceworks
• Lighting Plus & Light Plan
• Energy Efficient Solutions NZ
• Forman Building Systems
• Winstone Wallboards Ltd
• Architects Process Consultants
• Pamela Ingram Architect Ltd
• Royal Wolf
• LogaJob Ltd
Join in the fun
for SPCA Cupcake Day
Monday 25 August
You can help prevent animal cruelty - with
cupcakes! On Monday 25 August, thousands
of cupcake chefs from around New Zealand
will be taking part in the annual SPCA
Cupcake Day. This year we are hoping to
raise $350,000 to care for animals in need,
all across New Zealand.
Simply register yourself, or your team,
bake and decorate lots of cupcakes, and
then have friends, family or work colleagues
make a donation. There are some great
prizes up for grabs, and however you choose
to get involved, you will help make a
difference to the life of an animal in need.
If you haven’t already registered, it’s not too late to get involved!
Register now at
www.spcacupcakeday.co.nz
or contact Chris on 09 256 2520
for more information
Hot Rod Day helping animals in need,
Sunday 28 September
Looking for a great day out for the whole
family? Want to grab a bargain at a charity
auction?
With over 180 hot rod and classic cars on
display, activities for the kids, food stalls
and entertainment, and of course the
hugely popular charity auction, Hot Rod Day
for the SPCA is a great family day out!
Run by our friends at Renegade Rod &
Custom and now in it’s 11th year, Hot Rod
Day gets bigger and better every year, with
almost a hundred local businesses donating
time and products for the charity auction.
All donations and proceeds from the day go
toward helping protect Auckland’s animals
in need.
Gates open 10am. Charity auction from midday.
The Great Animal Walk & Blessing
of the Animals, 5 October
Join all creatures great and small for the
Great Animal Walk up Queen Street. It is
a wonderful opportunity for all animal
lovers and their pets to celebrate the life
of St Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint
of Animals. The walk commences from
Queen Elizabeth Square, next to Britomart.
If you would like to take part, please meet
at 11:30am.
The walk concludes outside St Matthews in
the City, where the Blessing of the Animals
service will take place.
SPCA Auckland is proudly supported by:
The service is a lovely opportunity to
celebrate the important place that animals
have in our hearts. This service is also a
unique opportunity to have your animals
blessed by the ministers at St Matthews in
the City.
Walk 12:15pm – M
eet at Queen
Elizabeth Square
Blessing 1pm – S
t Matthews
in the City