Family had to leave their pets behind in the flooding

A flood refugee dog waiting for collection at the Wanganui District Council dog pound. Photo / Mark Mitchell

As a Whanganui family evacuated their flood-hit property, they had to leave behind their three dogs and five cats.

But there was a happy ending for the Bunkers, who were forced out of their drowning eastern suburbs property on Saturday and are still staying in a hotel.

Their cats were retrieved safe and sound and their dogs were rescued yesterday from inside the house by senior animal control officer Bernie Compton, who took them back to the pound to be looked after.

The dogs - Pixie, Connolly and Summer - were unscathed but muddy, thanks to the mess left by the water.

"Lots of people were in the same boat but for animal lovers, once your animals are sorted, you can relax," Dawn Bunker said.

She, husband Clayton and son Louis, 19, are visiting the dogs everyday to take them for a walk.

As well as the Bunkers' dogs, the pound looked after 11 huntaway working dogs from a badly hit region near Whanganui for two nights.

"[The farmer] brought 11 of his working dogs for us to look after when the waters went down. He had to get them back in a hurry because with all the fences washed down he needed his stock back. That's a bit of a buzz, being able to give something back to the rural boys," Mr Compton said.

"We've had though a lot of people today and yesterday reporting their dogs missing from those affected areas. Unfortunately we haven't had any positive feedback ... so those dogs are still missing."

Mr Compton was keeping in touch with Civil Defence to see if any dogs would need temporary homes.

While much low-lying rural country is or has been underwater, Manawatu-Rangitikei Federated Farmers presidents James Stewart said there weren't too many reports of drowned stock.

There were worries, however, for animals on high country farmland cut off by slips.
"Some of their tracks have been washed out so there's a bit of concern," Mr Stewart said.
"It's pretty frustrating when you can't get back to the animals."

Meanwhile, industry group DairyNZ is working alongside other organisations to support farmers and ensure about 5000 cows in central Manawatu and Horowhenua have enough feed for winter after dozens of paddocks were flooded at the weekend.

About 12 dairy farms in those areas were still "seriously under water", a DairyNZ statement says.

Whanganui's SPCA was full before the floods. That and a slip across its public accessway meant it couldn't take any animals.

One of its workers, Catherine Bronnimann, spent Sunday night at the shelter after all the bridges across the Whanganui River was closed. From her eastern suburbs home she managed to get across a railway bridge open to foot traffic but found access blocked on her return.

"It was very glamorous - not," she said.

"We've got a lot of blankets here for the dogs and cats. I just emptied out the linen cupboard and found the hot water bottle stash so it was nice and warm.
"I slept better than I thought I would."

People had offered her a place to stay but Mrs Bronnimann said she felt better staying with the unsettled animals.