When the animal services team finds a dog that is not microchipped and its owner cannot be confirmed, or the dog is not collected by its owner, after seven days, other options are needed to avoid what would have historically resulted in euthanasia.
Said council animal services manager Lionel Bridger: "Working with Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue and Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust is a key part of our focus on rehoming dogs.
"These two organisations, together with shelter staff, play a vital role in helping to re-train dogs so that they can be adopted out."
"Shelter staff now assess the dog’s temperament over a period of time and determine, with work by either Dogwatch or Bull Breed Rescue, whether the dog would be suitable for rehoming.
"If they are, we would hold dogs for up to a month until there is space available for them.
"The dogs are then rehomed from the shelter to one of the organisations, who put a lot of work in to ensure they find the right owner.
“This has dramatically reduced the number of dogs being euthanised by us. This collaborative approach is vital to ensure less dogs are euthanised."
Last year, the council placed 675 dogs in the Christchurch Animal Shelter. Of those, 563 were returned to their owners, 47 were referred to Dogwatch and Bull Breed Rescue for rehoming, and 50 were rehomed directly from the Shelter. Fifteen dogs were euthanised.
Auckland City Council figures for 2020 show that 5492 dogs were impounded, with 1388 euthanised and just 372 adopted.
Dogwatch Adoption Centre manager Kelly Burt said some dogs come to them with a variety of issues, including poor socialisation, barking, nipping and fence-jumping.
Once they have identified the dog's specific behaviours, Dogwatch develops a training plan before looking for a suitable home.
“We don’t want them to bounce around, we want these dogs to go to homes and stay there so we aim to make a match between what the owner can provide and what the dog needs. It’s about that willingness to work together,” said Burt.
A recent shift from a one-week to four-week trial with the adoptive home means Dogwatch can give more support to dogs and their new owners.
"Our commitment is lifelong."
Abbey Vanderplas is one of two full-time, trained volunteers at Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue in Woolston.
She works with more than 20 other volunteers and foster carers to provide support for pitbulls, staffordshire terriers, bull terriers and their crosses.
She founded the organisation 10 years ago after adopting a staffordshire puppy from the council shelter and realising the difficulties bull breed dogs faced in finding new homes.
She says there was an "old school mentality" that just isn’t there today.
"It took time to lift that stigma but Christchurch now is really lucky with our animal management. For a large city we are doing phenomenally well at making sure good dogs get a chance."
Remember, all dogs must be registered with the city council. The due date for your standard dog registration payment is July 31. The registration fee helps pay for dog bite prevention education services, dog parks, free dog microchipping and other animal management services throughout the city. Find out how to register your dog here.
