Cruz. Female, aged 3, Greyhound and her special feature: high energy. Photo / Nick Reed
Four dogs are still waiting for homes after being with Auckland's SPCA for more than six months - equating to a seven-year sentence for humans.
SPCA chief Andrea Midgen said it was rare to have so many dogs in care for so long.
"Generally they would be here for two or three months.
"Every now and again we get one, maybe, that is a bit of a long-termer, so to have four is a bit unusual."
She said each dog had special features that had made it difficult to find them homes.
"Monty has three legs, not four; that puts people off."
A 2-year-old shar pei, Monty was seized by an SPCA inspector after he was apparently hit by a car and his owner did not get care for his injured leg, which had to be amputated.
The other three - Bella, Charlie and Cruz - are all "full of energy" and need lots of exercise. "You want someone that goes for a run and has an active life and wants to include a dog in their life."
Ms Midgen said now was a good time of year to adopt, because holidays meant more time to create a bond.
The SPCA has hundreds of kittens at this time of year because most are born in the summer, but they are easier to find homes for. A poll in July found 45 per cent of Kiwis own cats and 31 per cent own dogs.
Consensus on cat control
Cats may soon have to be desexed and microchipped in a drive to protect native birds.
The SPCA and the Veterinary Association have joined campaigning philanthropist Gareth Morgan to back compulsory desexing and microchipping of the country's 1.6 million cats.
Dr Morgan, who launched a campaign in 2013 to eradicate cats because of their threat to native birds, said yesterday vets were opposed at first but changed their stance after surveying members.
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The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.