SPCA calls for help housing dogs | Otago Daily Times Online News
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SPCA calls for help housing dogs

SPCA southern inspectorate team leader Jamie Hancock displays a young female huntaway cross...
SPCA southern inspectorate team leader Jamie Hancock displays a young female huntaway cross called Jasmine, who has been waiting at the SPCA Dunedin Centre for her forever family for months. PHOTO: BRENDA HARWOOD
The SPCA Dunedin Centre is nearing full capacity for dogs, and is calling for help from the community to find forever or foster homes for them.

Rolleston-based SPCA southern inspectorate team leader Jamie Hancock said there had been dogs waiting for forever families at the Dunedin Centre for months, but sadly there had been no takers.

The problem was compounded by a lack of people willing and available to provide foster care for dogs.

The four inspectors operating across the South need to regularly uplift animals due to welfare concerns, making the overcrowding problem worse.

In the past two weeks, the Dunedin centre has had 53 welfare animals come in, ranging from guinea pigs to sheep, including dogs.

"The continuing influx of animals is definitely putting pressure on our capacity at the centre," Ms Hancock said.

"So, we would really love for people who may be thinking about getting a dog to help us out."

For people who may be uncertain about getting a dog, or could not afford one, fostering could be a good alternative, as the SPCA covered the costs involved, she said.

"We used to have a lot of fosterers working with us, but many dropped off during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we haven’t had any new applications recently," Ms Hancock said.

"Fostering is a good option for someone who is unable to have a pet full-time.

"If people want to return to fostering, or would like to give it a go, we would really welcome it."

Going into foster care would be ideal for some of the about 15 dogs at the Dunedin centre, who had been uplifted by inspectors and were involved in animal welfare cases. These dogs could not be put up for adoption in the meantime, so either had to stay at the centre, or may go into foster care.

"Obviously it is better for them to be in foster care," Ms Hancock said.

The SPCA Dunedin Centre is one of several centres across the South Island affected by the high number of dogs needing care at present, including Christchurch, Timaru and Invercargill.

The inspectorate had been receiving a higher than usual number of complaints about severe and complex animal welfare situations recently, she said.

"So our responses in some cases have resulted in urgently bringing animals into the care of our centres, and there are more animals that we know we still need to bring in over the coming weeks.

"This will only be possible if we can find permanent or temporary homes outside of our centres for some of the animals in our care," she said.

 - To find out about adopting or fostering a dog through the SPCA, visit the website www.spca.nz

brenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz