The SPCA is noticing an increase in animal cruelty cases in Waikato, including where people have abandoned their animals by throwing them out of moving vehicles.
The society is investigating two cases involving dogs being thrown from moving vehicles.
SPCA Inspectorate for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Jason Blair, told Waikato Herald they were notified of an incident by a local vet earlier this month.
“A dog suffered injuries from allegedly being thrown from a moving vehicle and it was reportedly witnessed by a member of the public who did not manage to note vehicle registration,” Blair said.
“The investigation is in its early stages though. Unfortunately, there are few leads to assist with inquiries.”
In both cases, the dogs were not microchipped and witnesses did not provide vehicle registrations, so there was not enough information to identify the offenders, SPCA said.
However, the investigations remained open.
SPCA could not confirm if the vehicles were travelling at high or low speed when the dogs were ejected.
On social media pages, several people also reported dogs abandoned in Ngāruawāhia and Tauwhare, amongst other places.
The SPCA urged anyone who had witnessed the ill-treatment of animals to report their concerns and evidence to the nearest SPCA centre.
“It is extremely distressing to witness acts of cruelty and without sufficient information, it is difficult to hold these offenders to account,” Blair said.
On the Hamilton/New Zealand lost and found pets Facebook page, one person posted about a dog being “thrown” out of a moving vehicle on May 7.
“[The dog] doesn’t have a microchip, is friendly and well looked after ... luckily has no injuries.
“[I] would love to find the owner to either return or have some not-so-very-nice words with. The dog is with the vets and SPCA are doing an investigation,” the post read.
When asked if the incident reported on social media was the same as the one the SPCA was investigating, Blair said they couldn’t confirm this since the investigation was ongoing.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
