WINTER 2015
inside
“this ISSUE
“
1 Canterbury tails quote
Foster parents help save lives
2 Message from Barry
Upcoming events
OpShop update
Update from the front line
3 SPCA Superstar
Caring for pets over winter
Dougie update
Happy tails
4 Community support
Corporate partners
Grant providers
Contact us?
Help us to help them
Would you prefer to receive this
newsletter via email? Online version
now available, please contact:
admin@spcacanterbury.org.nz for details
“
canterbury
tails
“
quote
s
“Everybody deserve
o
wh
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bo
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makes them look
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forward to tomorro
– Anonymous
1
“
Foster Parents
help save lives
Many animals that come into our centre need a little extra
love and attention before they can find their forever homes.
Our foster programme is essential to helping us ‘save lives’
as foster parents provide vital care and support for many
of our most vulnerable animals, particularly during our
busy kitten season.
Over the past three months more than 100 animals
were placed into foster homes, most of which were cats
and kittens requiring regular monitoring, medication,
rehabilitation or socialisation. We are extremely fortunate
to have a fantastic team of caring and dedicated volunteer
fosterers who temporarily look after cats, kittens, rabbits,
guinea pigs, dogs and puppies, on our behalf. Without
this vital support, many of these animals may not have
survived and we would like to take this opportunity
to thank our fosterers for their outstanding contribution
to our work.
To help us continue to save as many lives as possible we
would like to expand our foster programme and are looking for
more foster families to assist. Ideally, we require people who are
experienced in cat and kitten care, and confident in administering
medication. However, if you have no experience but are willing to
learn, we will gladly teach you all you need to know.
If you would like to help, please contact our Volunteer & Foster
Coordinator Rowena Hughey, phone 03 344 4772 or email
rowena@spcacanterbury.org.nz. You can also visit our website
for more details.
Rowena, (see header image) recently joined our team and
brings to the role a wealth of animal care experience and
a strong passion for animal welfare. “I love working with
volunteers, their enthusiasm and dedication is infectious”,
says Rowena. “If you’re willing and have the time, please
consider volunteering at our Animal Centre or becoming
a foster parent. Your support really will make a huge
difference for animals in need!”
The official newsletter of the Canterbury Branch of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Inc.
WINTER 2015
message
from
“ BARRY
“
CEO, SPCA Canterbury
Our inspectorate team continues to be
reacting to a further increase in animal
welfare complaint levels this year. This is
an issue we are monitoring closely in terms
of how best to resource this. Also vitally
important to us is the on-going safety
of our people and guests. With Health &
Safety legislative changes due to come
into effect later this year, it is timely to
review and ensure we meet the proposed
standards. We strongly encourage a
safe, healthy and positive workplace
environment for everyone to enjoy.
“
update
from the
“
canterburytails
FRONT LINE
Inspectorate
Our Inspectorate team continue to investigate
an increase in animal welfare complaints
compared to the previous year. Many of these
have been seasonal in nature, e.g. hot dogs in
cars, inadequate shelter for cold weather, lack
of feed for stock animals etc.
As we enter the cooler months our Inspectors
are prepared for an influx of winter related
complaints and, to help prevent animal illness
and neglect, we strongly urge all animal
owners to ensure they are ready for the cold
weather. Please see page 3 for some helpful
tips on caring for animals during winter.
In addition to the usual complaints of neglect,
abandonment and abuse, we have also seen
an increase in the number of hoarding cases
and animals being surrendered to us. This
is largely a result of financially struggling
owners being unable to seek proper care and
treatment for their sick or injured pets.
upcoming
events
Saturday 23 May
gh Tea
Nut Point Centre Hi
s of
oru
Christchurch City Ch
Sweet Adelines
ay 7 June
Saturday 6 - Sund
Street Appeal
ce
Project 2nd Chan
Monday 24 August
y
SPCA Cupcake Da
Recent court cases:
• Troy Henderson was convicted of the ill
treatment of dogs and sentenced to 80
hours community service, disqualified from
owning or having authority over dogs for a
period of 18 months, ordered to pay legal
costs of $300 and vet costs of $363.
• Bryan Jeoffrey Lilley was convicted of
failing to seek veterinary treatment for
a horse with a broken leg and ordered
to do 150 hours community work. While
disqualification was sought by SPCA the
Judge declined to grant this application.
OPSHOP
update!
Our OpShops and Trade Me store have
enjoyed a busy start to the year and we
wish to thank you all for your generous
donations of goods, without which we
could not exist.
Over the next few months we have a
couple of large sales planned including a
book sale in June/July and a shoe sale in
August. We hope you can take the time
to pop into our stores, grab a bargain and
help our animals!
Please continue to spread the word about
our stores and online Trade Me profile. The
more people who know, the more custom
we have, the more we can help vulnerable
Canterbury animals.
SPCA OpShops:
Hills Rd, Shirley and Ferry Rd, Woolston.
Open Mon – Sat, 10am – 4pm.
Unfortunately over winter we often experience a
bottleneck of animals for adoption, particularly
dogs and puppies, as people prefer to adopt
new pets in warmer weather. We kindly ask
that you continue to help us spread the word,
share our Facebook posts and website address,
and encourage others to give SPCA animals a
‘second chance’ at a happy future.
To help promote our animals and encourage
adoptions, we are extremely grateful for the
support of local photographer, Emma Steele.
Emma volunteers her time each week and has
transformed our regular adoption updates by
taking stunning professional photos of our
animals, (see example below) which are
posted on our website, Facebook page and
in local newspapers.
Photo tak
en by
Emma St
eele
Education
Our education team are preparing for
one of the busiest times of the year.
However, there are still spaces available
for both school and community groups
to book a visit. We will teach you
the basic requirements of caring for
animals and talk about our role in the
community. We can host groups at our
animal centre or come to you! New
recruit Bugsy the Greyhound means we
now have two dogs, two guinea pigs,
a rat, a budgie, a kunekune pig and a
couple of rescued sheep.
We’d love to see you! For bookings
please phone 344 4770 or email
education@spcacanterbury.org.nz.
Animal Centre
In the last few months we have seen
an increase in the number of adult cats
entering our care, some via our Inspectorate
investigations, whilst others are
stray or abandoned.
The demand for kittens remains extremely
high however our kitten numbers continue
to decrease as the breeding season
comes to an end.
SPCA Trade Me profile: opshopspca
2
DONATE ONLINE! Visit www.spcacanterbury.org.nz and help us make a difference for animals!
superstar
“
SPCA
“
ANIMAL
care over winter
Kim MacFarlane,
OpShop volunteer
As winter approaches we wish to remind animal owners to be
prepared for the cooler weather. There are many things you can do
to help keep your animals warm and prevent illness or disease.
In October 2012 we opened our first
SPCA OpShop, on Ferry Road in
Woolston, to help provide much needed
funds to support our work throughout
Canterbury. The success of this store
encouraged us to open a second shop
on Hills Road in Shirley and we recently
started an online Trade Me store to help
sell our more unique and high value items.
Take your pets for a winter check-up to ensure there are no health
concerns which may make them more vulnerable to the cold.
Keep your pets indoors at night, especially cats and small critters.
Ensure your animals have adequate shelter, it should be clean,
warm, dry and free from draft.
From the beginning we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of
our community. Thousands of people have donated quality goods,
(including Daniel Carter pictured above) and dozens have volunteered
their time to ensure the success of our stores.
Kim MacFarlane was one of our very first volunteer shop assistants
having applied for the role after seeing a sign on our Ferry Road store
window prior to opening day. Kim was encouraged to volunteer because
she loves animals and really wanted to support our “awesome cause”.
Kim is a well-liked, reliable, dedicated and hardworking member of
our team who is always willing to go the extra mile. She has enjoyed
building relationships with customers and making new friends with other
volunteers. We are extremely saddened that in recent weeks Kim has
suffered a serious illness and faces a long road to recovery. On behalf of
our SPCA board, staff and volunteers, (particularly Kim’s OpShop peers)
we extend our very best wishes to Kim and her family and look forward
to welcoming her back to our store when she is able.
This section is dedicated to the many extraordinary supporters of SPCA
Canterbury. From our staff to our loyal sponsors, members, volunteers
and fosterers - we couldn’t operate without your help, thank you!
Dougie
found a
HOME
“happytails
“
‘Mr Chips’ was brought into our Centre after
being found in the mouth of a cat! Luckily he
was not badly hurt and managed to survive the
traumatic incident.
Our staff cared for Mr Chips until he was fully
recovered but sadly his owners never came
looking for him. One of our amazing volunteers,
Sandra, already has a pond with lots of goldfish
and was keen to give Mr Chips a loving forever
Follow us on
Twitter (SPCA_Canterbury) and
Livestock owners must ensure they have plenty of feed available
and we recommend that they prepare an emergency plan in case
of severe weather.
Indoor pets must be carefully monitored around fires and
heaters. Pets can easily burn themselves or accidentally knock
a heat source over.
Pets need regular exercise so continue to walk your dog but try to
avoid the coldest time of day. You can also use animal jumpers if
they will put up with it.
Lastly, always remember the ‘5 freedoms’ no matter what time of
year it is. Pet owners must provide their pets with:
1. Food and clean fresh water
2. Warm and comfortable shelter
3. Vet treatment as/when required
4. Love and kind treatment
5. Fun and exercise
Winter can be a beautiful time of year and with some careful
planning and preparation you, and your animals, can enjoy these
cooler months whilst remaining happy, healthy and safe.
We are thrilled to announce that after
more than 6 months in our care, happy
go lucky boy ‘Dougie’, finally found his
perfect match! Check out this great
photo of Dougie enjoying a walk with
his new family.
We do our very best to ensure
adoptees find new homes quickly
but sometimes this process can take
several weeks and months. We are
proud to operate a ‘no time limit’ policy
which ensures that once an animal is
available for adoption, it will remain in
our care until a forever home is found.
To view our available adoptees visit our
website or come to our Animal Centre,
14 Wilmers Road, Hornby.
Open Mon–Sat, 10am-4pm or Sun,
10am-2pm.
home with her family. Mr Chips is none the
worse for his ‘fishy’ experience and has happily
integrated with Sandra’s other fish.
Over the past couple of years we have rehomed
a number of goldfish, most are from backyard
ponds that are not being adequately managed.
If you would like to know more about looking
after goldfish please visit the Animal Care
section of our website.
Facebook (SPCACanterbury) and keep up to date with the latest news!
3
“us
Contact
On 10th-11th April we attended the Christchurch
Pet Expo to provide animal welfare advice
and promote our work. We wish to thank the
volunteers who supported us on the day and
hope that those of you who attended enjoyed a
wonderful day out.
On 6th–7th June we are coordinating a street
collection to raise funds for our Project 2nd
Chance appeal. If you can spare 2 hrs or more,
to help raise funds for dogs and puppies in
need, then please contact us on 344 4733 or
email shelby@spcacanterbury.org.nz.
Lastly, we wish to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’
to the many fundraisers who donated gifts,
toys, blankets, food and funds over the past few
months. There are too many to name individually
but we are overwhelmed by your generosity and
ever grateful for your support!
Special thanks to:
Animal Centre
14 Wilmers Road,
Hornby, Christchurch 8025
Ph: 03 349 7057 Fax: 03 344 2074
Email: centre@spcacanterbury.org.nz
• Bill Northern
animal readings - $355
• Sharon Wyllie
Christmas display - $331
• The Warehouse
Store Development Team NZ - $1810
• Kura and Daisy
Food and donations in lieu of birthday gifts
• Darren & Marie Roberts
‘Come dine with me’ evening - $200
• Donna & friends at Tai Tapu school
Cupcake stall - $651.10
• Rachel O’Neill & Mark Macdonald
Food/bedding
• Salvation Army OpShop
Towels for animals
• Truckn For Paws
Calendar sales - $1300
www.spcacanterbury.org.nz
SPCA_Canterbury
SPCACanterbury
“
Thank you
to our Grant providers
“
community
“support
“
WINTER 2015
“
canterburytails
We wish to acknowledge the support and
generosity of the following Trusts:
Upcoming Fundraisers
The Nut Point Centre’s 8th annual SPCA fundraiser: The Christchurch City Chorus of Sweet
Adelines. Saturday 23 May from 2pm. www.nutpoint.org.nz
NZ Lottery Grants Board
$10,000 towards our Education Programme
Project 2nd Chance Street Appeal, 6-7 June: Volunteers needed!
To register your support, ph 344 4773 or email shelby@spcanterbury.org.nz.
Mainland Foundation
$15,000 towards our Education Programme
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Trust
(CERT)
$12,573 towards a new Inspector Vehicle
A special thank you to our ‘Champions for Animals’ supporters:
Platinum partner
Hornby Veterinary
Gold partner
Silver partner
Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Centre
www.hornbyvet.co.nz
Providing exceptional care
Proudly feeding
SPCA animals
throughout New Zealand.
Groomingdales/
Plush Puppies
Plato Creative
Proud suppliers of SPCA
Canterbury’s design and
website needs.
and help anim
in need!
“
for all pets and their owners.
Proud to support SPCA
Canterbury.
DONATE TODAalsY
Master dog groomers
and proud supporters
of SPCA Canterbury.
“helpusto help them...
Donate online or complete the form below and send to:
Post: Administration Office, SPCA Canterbury, PO Box 16880, Hornby, Christchurch 8441 • Email: admin@spcacanterbury.org.nz
Name:_________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________
Phone:________________________________________________________ Email:__________________________________________________________ I would like to contribute to:
I wish to give:
$20
$50
General Donation
$70
$100
Project 2nd Chance Appeal
Other:__________.
Justice Appeal
I would like a tax receipt. (Donations over $5 are tax deductible)
Please find enclosed my cheque payable to: RSPCA Canterbury Inc; or, charge my credit card:
Visa
Expiry Date:
Name on card:_________________________________________________________________________
Yes, I’d like to know more about:
Bequests
Membership
Volunteering
Fostering
Mastercard
/
Signature:_______________________________
Corporate support
From time to time, we’d like to keep you updated on what we are doing at SPCA Canterbury. If you would prefer not to receive mail from us please tick this box.
SPCA Canterbury is a registered charity with the NZ Charities Commission: CC 22828
4
Donations of pet food, pet toys, blankets and towels are appreciated. Food items may also be placed in SPCA bins at participating supermarkets.