Cost of Living hurting animals too with the SPCA taking on around 660 cats alone since the start of December. Video / NZ Herald
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Hundreds of animals are ending up in the care of the SPCA this summer with the cost of living crisis meaning more families are unable to afford their pets.
Auckland centres have taken in around 660 cats since the start of December and almost 100 dogs.
“We get a lot more calls for assistance than what we did pre-Covid in terms of making sure that animals have adequate food, adequate veterinary treatment and just people who are in general struggling with life at the moment,” support services manager Laura Millar told Focus.
The SPCA’s 600 staff have been working around the clock to care for the animals with the support of 5000 volunteers.
“Adequately caring for an animal is a lot of work and the more animals you have, the more work it is,” Millar said.
“We’ve got a fantastic team of not only staff here, but also volunteers - who do essential work for us and spend a lot of time doing the enrichment for the animals to make sure that they’re getting all of the TLC that they need - and foster parents: we’re always in need of temporary homes for animals.”
Some animals find it harder to secure a new home than others.
Herbert is a "marshmallow" hoping to find a forever home. Photo / Jed Bradley
Herbert, 4, has been on the hunt since early December with no interest yet because of his breed and appearance.
“We’re struggling a little bit to find his forever home partly due to the fact that he’s been previously registered as a pitbull, which means he has some restrictions when he’s out in public but he is the sweetest thing.
“No dog comes to the SPCA because its life is going great so they might have a couple of things that need a little bit of work and a more experienced home, those dogs can take a little while but he is a little marshmallow. It’s very unusual for a dog with a nature like his to be looking for a home for that long.”
Millar hoped Herbert would soon find a home and encouraged Kiwis who are willing and able to think about adoption.
“The best place to have a look and get more information is our website,” she said.
“You’ll find a lot more information about fostering, volunteering or adopting what animals are available for adoption at your local centre, as well as contact details to reach out for us if you’re interested in any of those or you find someone like Herbert here, who you might be interested in taking home, hopefully.”
