One Christchurch animal rescue charity, already at full capacity, recently received five rehoming requests in a single day.
Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust general manager Bridget Paterson said there has been a steady increase in the number of requests to surrender dogs.
“On average, at least one a day,” she said.
Many of the reasons people gave were linked to financial hardship.
“We had some dogs who required medical treatment which owners couldn’t afford, elderly people moving into care where they can’t take their dog or elderly passing away and family not wanting to care for their dog.
“Also, people moving rentals and unable to keep their dogs or people who rescue a dog in a poor situation but cannot keep it themselves,” Paterson said.
One such person was Papanui resident Dana Bennett, who was driving home when she spotted a man walking down the street pushing a shopping trolley with four chihuahuas in a dog crate.
“I had to stop. I felt it wasn’t right,” she said.
When she pulled over to talk to him, the man told her he was homeless and had been given the dogs by his niece to look after, but she never came back for them.
“I offered to take them and let them run around in my back yard.”
A few days later, the man visited Bennett at home and said he was happy to leave the dogs with her, as he couldn’t give them the life they deserved.
“He said I’d given them more in four days than he had in six months."
One found a home straight away, and Bennett decided to adopt one herself.
Paterson said the trust’s Dyers Rd site is always at its 14-dog capacity.
The organisation also has 13 dogs in foster care and 18 recently adopted dogs currently settling into new homes, with support and guidance to help both owners and pets adjust.
She said it was not uncommon to hear stories of people facing hardship who still put their dogs’ needs before their own.
Dogwatch offers food assistance for dog owners, but demand for that service has also increased this year.
The trust adopts out about 100 dogs each year, but rising demand means “it’s looking more like 120 dogs this year,” Paterson said.
Data from Companion Animals NZ shows New Zealand has about 4.35m companion animals – proportionately the second-highest rate in the world after the United States.
About two-thirds of New Zealand households share their home with a pet (63%), with cats the most popular at 40% of households, followed by dogs at 31%.
Dogwatch is now in its 43rd year of operation.
“It all started with a group of ladies protesting outside local pounds, objecting to the number of unclaimed dogs being euthanised,” Paterson said.
The group persuaded local pounds to allow them to set up fostering networks to care for animals until permanent homes could be found.
“Back in those days, dogs were held in a pound for five days and if not claimed they were euthanised. That practice has significantly changed now.”
Dogwatch does not receive any council or government funding and relies heavily on grants and public support.
The registered charity has about 130 volunteers and 13 part-time staff at its Dyers Rd headquarters, plus three part-time staff at its variety shop in New Brighton, which provides some regular income.
Paterson said their goal is simple – to save more dogs.
“We want to do more, save more dogs, offer more education, more support, more desexing to prevent unwanted litters and more vaccinations to prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases.”
She said the ultimate goal is to have every dog in a loving home.
“So effectively, we won’t need to exist.”
