We're taking better care of our pets

SPCA executive officer Phil Soper, with Stardust, a 1 year old tortoiseshell cat. Photo by Peter McIntosh
SPCA executive officer Phil Soper, with Stardust, a 1 year old tortoiseshell cat. Photo by Peter McIntosh
It seems Otago people do love their animals.

The SPCA in Dunedin received fewer animals over the past few months than in previous summers.

Otago SPCA executive officer Phil Soper said the society received 295 animals in the first two months of the year.

In the corresponding period last year, it received 77 animals, and in 2006 it received 387.

In Dunedin this year, the SPCA put down 69 of the 295 animals it received, with 147 going to new homes. Nationally, 29,484 of the 59,654 animals the SPCA received in 2006 were put down.

Mr Soper said the region was helped by an active desexing campaign carried out by the SPCA and the Dunedin City Council. The council continued to desex dogs, while the SPCA had, since last October, desexed all kittens it gave out.

‘‘We're not doing too badly really. We try and find a home for every animal we get. But we don't have the same number of animals as they do in the North Island,'' he said.

He said having just seven puppies dropped in over the two-month period was an indication of how well the dog desexing programme was working.

Otago SPCA employed seven staff, and needed $400,000 a year to operate. It had no government funding, and relied on donations and fundraising.

Otago SPCA senior inspector Stephanie Saunders said the region was a big one to cover, from just south of Oamaru to Haast, but she said the Otago community was very supportive.

There were about 30 ‘‘highly valued '' volunteers at the Opoho kennels, she said.

‘‘We're not as bad as those further north. But in saying that, a lot of work is to do with negligence and ignorance,'' she said.

‘‘It is still too easy in this country to own a pet. Just this last week, we've had two dogs dropped on us because of marriage break-ups.''

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