Number of animal welfare complaints jump in Tauranga

Tauranga SPCA is dealing with a spike in animal welfare complaints . Photo/Getty.

Tauranga SPCA is dealing with a spike in animal welfare complaints . Photo/Getty.

There has been a spike in animal welfare complaints in Tauranga - jumping by more than 100 in three years.

Figures show the Tauranga SPCA fielded 351 complaints in 2015 compared to 466 in 2017, with the majority of calls relating to dogs.

Centre manager Margaret Rawiri said one of the worse cases it had dealt with this year resulted in the prosecution of Waihi man who beat his rottweiler puppy. The dog was also left without veterinary care for months, despite having a fractured leg.

Matthew Madsen pleaded guilty at the Waihi Court on July 24 to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act and was sentenced to 200 hours' community work and nine months' supervision with a direction that he attends anger management. He was ordered to pay reparations of $1654.70 and disqualified from owning animals for five years.

Sky was seized by Inspectors at the beginning of 2018, and recovered in SPCA care, she said.

It could not discuss other cases the SPCA were dealing with as they were before the courts.

But 67 per cent of most complaints related to the failure to provide for the physical, health and behavioural needs of animals.

''This could include an animal that is underweight, has inadequate food or water, poor living conditions, no shelter or no exercise.''

Nowadays people were becoming more educated ''about what is and isn't acceptable in animal care''.

''People are reporting more, and we think that's a good thing.''

Dr Liza Schneider from ARRC Wildlife Trust said in her view there was a link between domestic violence and animal abuse.

''I believe that the reasons for both are similar – frustrated and angry people needing to take their anger out on victims which are often animals as they are easy targets as well as a general lack of reverence for values of kindness and respect of life in our society.

''There are also ignorant people who accept that this abusive behaviour is normal as they may have been raised with these values.''

The veterinarian said she had seen a puppy with its ears cut off and a dog that had an eye infection that was not treated for two weeks.

On the wildlife front ''every now and then there were cases of kids kicking an injured bird, throwing stones at a seagull and using a hedgehog as a ball''.

Schneider liked the Mahatma Gandhi quote "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

''To achieve this, education is very important, especially teaching our children to respect and revere animals and nature," Schneider said.

''Another important part of addressing this problem is to ensure that offenders are made accountable for their behaviour, and ideally, they are taught that there are more constructive ways to address the underlying issues that lead to abuse.''

To achieve the latter, legislation was needed to not only address abusive behaviour but also to promote responsible animal ownership, so animals are more valued in our society, she said.

Foster home turns into forever home for abused kitty

Emma and her daughter Jay-Lee Welch who have adopted Betty who they fostered and was an animal abuse victim. Photo / Supplied

The Welch family have fostered more than 100 kittens from the Tauranga SPCA and always given them back... then along came Betty.

She had suffered burns to the pads of her paws, damaged claws and was severely malnourished but that did not stop her capturing their hearts.

Betty craved human affection and bonded instantly with 11-year-old Jay-Lee who has a learning disability.

Her mother, Emma, said Betty would sit on Jay-Lee's shoulder for cuddles and they quickly became inseparable.

So three weeks ago the family broke its golden rule and adopted Betty who had made herself right at home.

Fostering was a great way to give back to the community Emma said, and it was a New Year's resolution four years ago which encouraged her to volunteer.

''Jay-Lee also absolutely loves animals so we also thought it would be good for her and even though we had a foster-fail with Betty, we honestly do not mind returning them.''

The rewarding part was watching them grow, she said.

''Each kitten has got personality, and some have had a bad start. When they first come to you, they are very shy, and some of them are a bit feral.'

''Then you watch them blossom an grow into this naughty little lively, mischievous kitten.''

SPCA Fundraiser

* Kiwis are being encouraged to walk the distance from the Earth to the Moon with their four-legged friends to raise funds for animals in need.
* Walk Your Dog to the Moon will see Kiwis and their pups uniting to cover 385,500km to raise money for the charity.
* The event will happen in Tauranga on Saturday, November 3 at 10am.
* For more information www.walktomoon.co.nz