Adopt Me: Champ finds new name and new happiness

Rowena Singh and Champ - now Rimu. Photo / Christine Cornege

Champ, the hoop-jumping pooch featured in the Herald's Adopt Me series on December 28, has begun 2010 on a new note after being rehomed in Otahuhu.

His proud new owners, Rowena Singh and her son Stephen Heatley, 7, said they knew Champ was "the one" from the moment they laid eyes on him.

"We already feel like we've raised him and he's been with us forever," said Ms Singh. "All the neighbourhood kids hang out with him and love him."

Champ has been renamed Rimu - after the "protective shelter of the rimu tree" - and was already an important member of his new family, she said.

Ms Singh said adopting a pet from the SPCA was the "right thing to do", as the animals had often been through tough times and deserved a fresh start.

"I wasn't going to get a dog from anywhere else," she said.

Since the Herald series began on Boxing Day, 18 animals have been featured.

Canine team leader Max Burndred said only four of the 13 dogs had not been adopted - Buddy, Paxton, Biscuit and Tess.

Ms Burndred said they were difficult to rehome because they were not "cat-savvy".

"If we know the dog will chase cats, or have not liked cats in the past, we don't like to be homing them with cats."

All the cats that featured in the series have been adopted.

Feline team leader Jenna Fowler said Uptoo - the deaf white cat featured on Wednesday - was adopted on Thursday, after his new owners saw him in the Herald.

She said she was ecstatic that Uptoo had finally found a loving home.

"He went to a perfect home for his special requirements," she said.

SPCA marketing manager Martin Mackenzie said the Herald series had generated a great response, with many people visiting the village to see the animals.

"We moved more than 120 cats and kittens in Christmas week which was fantastic," he said.

Mr Mackenzie said this summer was turning out to be one of the busiest on record for cat numbers - hundreds had arrived at the SPCA since Christmas.

He said mild weather and the failure of many cat owners to desex their pets were to blame for the problem.

Ms Fowler said despite the jump in cat numbers, her department was managing to keep afloat.

"Because of the media coverage we have done a lot of adoptions," she said.

Foster homes were still needed for the many litters of kittens arriving at the SPCA, Ms Fowler said.