Shelter constantly at full capacity amid epidemic of outcast animals

Thursday, 19 January 2023

HUHA shelter manager Claire Jamieson says HUHA have noticed an increase of animals in need and people in need.

Unwanted dogs are paying the price for backyard breeders, a lack of desexing and the rising cost of living, writes Bess Manson.

A wall of fur barrels around the grounds of HUHA’s Ōtaki dog shelter.

That’s Molly and her four pups. A golden mass of canine in full frolic.

Molly and those rambunctious furballs – Banksy, Constable, Leonardo and Garry – are the newest residents of the animal rescue shelter, collected from a breeder out of their depth and unable to sell or rehome the golden retriever litters bred on the back of a Covid-19 dog trend.

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With tougher times economically people are not adopting animals as much as they did, says HUHA's dog shelter manager Claire Jamieson, pictured with Molly and her puppies.

But a rise in the cost of living has meant a drop in people wanting to buy or adopt pets. And it’s animals like Molly, a lovable but timid young dog whose life has been a small one till now, and her pups who pay the price.

This particular breeder, who advertised golden retriever litters on Trade Me, had reduced her price to try and sell the pups, which used to be able to fetch around $4500 each. The ad also stated that if she could not sell them they would be put to sleep, said HUHA’s dog shelter manager Claire Jamieson, a dog lover if ever there was one.

That ad went viral and a slew of people contacted HUHA – an acronym for helping you help animals – asking for help.

When Jamieson and HUHA founder Carolyn Press-McKenzie arrived at the premises they discovered the woman had multiple adult dogs, a litter of 18-week-old puppies and another litter of eight-week-old pups.

HUHA offered to desex all of her adult dogs, which the breeder agreed to. She surrendered Molly, the mother of the eight-week-old puppies, and over the next 24 hours negotiated to get all the puppies.

In the end HUHA paid $350 per puppy – the same amount it would charge for an adoption fee.

“This is just a snapshot of what’s going on,” Jamieson said.

HUHA staff member Sarita Petric with Molly.

The amount of dogs and puppies from breeders advertising and selling via online sites is “ridiculous”, she said.

“We’re not talking about registered breeders who are in it for lineage and breeding. They are passionate about what they do. They’re doing their checks and balances. They’re invested in where these puppies go. But the online [sales], the backyard dealers, the puppy mills – it’s out of control.

“There’s a constant flow of puppies on the market, but the demand is not there any more.

“The market is flooded. There is an epidemic of unwanted animals in this country.”

There’s a bit of good news for Flossie, though. The 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier cross goes to her new home next week – one filled with love and an owner who wants to cherish her for the rest of her days.

Flossie’s first 11 years are best forgotten.

When her owners moved they didn’t want to take her with them.

Jamieson with Flossie, who was in a shocking state when HUHA rescued her. A year of love and kindness might just have restored her faith in humanity.

When she was surrendered to HUHA, Jamieson and her staff couldn’t believe the horrific state she was in.

“She had no fur, just little tufts. Her skin was cracked and bleeding. She was blind, and her eyes were impacted and ulcerated. She couldn’t hear because her ears were impacted. Her teeth just broke off in our hands.”

The owners had never taken her to a vet, said Jamieson. If she had, Flossie might still have her sight, her hearing, a better impression of humankind. HUHA passed details of its grim find onto SPCA for further investigation.

“We were so distressed. She had had 11 years uncared for and neglected. We said: We are going to turn this around for you. For the rest of your days you deserve to be adored and cherished and pain free and healthy and content.”

True to its word, HUHA did turn things around for her.

With the help of specialists and vets and HUHA staff she has been healed in every way. A year of love and kindness might even have restored her faith in humanity.

Her eyes couldn’t be saved, but she finds her way around OK.

Flossie is a happy little furball these days - a far cry from when she was rescued.

She’s engaging but independent, Jamieson said.

“She loves attention and bum scratches. She’s like a cat – she likes to sleep and potter, she likes to sniff things, she loves an ear rub, and then she goes back to sleep. She’s an old lady, really.

“She’s been on this long journey with us to health and healing and happiness, and we’re so proud of her.”

Flossie is one of 53 dogs at the shelter, which runs at full capacity, all the time.

Adoptions have slowed down. The number of dogs who need shelter has increased.

“We call it the Covid effect, the knock on from that uncertain period of time,” she said. “Financially, everyone is more cautious and struggling.

“The housing market has contributed to it. Landlords are not accepting pets. People are more afraid to move around as much as they would have. People can’t afford their own homes so much anymore.”

HUHA staff member Olive Carton with Carlton - a heading dog looking for the right home.

With animal adoption you need to be cautious, she said.

People are thinking that through, which is a good thing. But it has impacted on adoptions and most certainly the amount of dogs coming into care.

It’s not just dogs and cats. HUHA’s rural department has been inundated too.

“Lifestylers are having financial difficulties and moving out of that environment because it’s not as financially stable anymore,” she said. HUHA, which runs on run on donations, funds generated from their shops, grants and bequests, is getting a lot of the unwanted animals.

The shelter recently took in 14 pigs and two horses in a joint rescue with SPCA.

“It used to be easy to rehome pigs, and now it’s almost impossible. It’s a problem across the whole spectrum of animal welfare and ownership.

“The financial concerns of people and the housing market is really impacting the ebb and flow of what we do.

Molly and her litter were taken in by HUHA.

“It’s a tricky balance for us as a charity. People’s hearts and generosity are still in it, but people are more mindful about where their donations go… no one’s got any extra money.”

Regardless of the money or the lag in adoptions, HUHA’s modus operandi remains the same.

“Our focus is always what is the best outcome for the animal. What can we do to help them? But in doing that we help people too.”

The rescue shelter isn’t a lone voice in its concern around the rise in unwanted animals.

The SPCA reported a 10% increase in the number of animals in its care in the past year. It currently had just under 4700 animals across the country. In the past six months it had seen an incredible rise in the number of puppies and kittens as well as abandoned animals, which accounted for 20% of the animals it sheltered.

The overall increase was largely due to a lack of desexing throughout the pandemic and a paucity of vets unable to enter the country during Covid, according to SPCA chief executive Gabby Clezy.

People were playing catch up desexing their pets.

“It’s a challenging time for vets. There are so many animals to see and so few vets,” Clezy said.

In the past year the SPCA had desexed 17,000 animals and helped other charities desex a further 13,000.

Adding to the problem was a decrease in the number of people who were able to foster, Clezy said.

And then there was the cost of living – an added burden when trying to pay for pet food and veterinary care.

“We ask people if they are thinking of getting an animal, to really consider the cost and the long term needs to give an animal a good life. If they are struggling, they should give us a call… We do everything we can to look after those who find themselves in a difficult spot, temporarily.”

The detail:

HUHA - (Helping You Help Animals) was established in 2008 by Carolyn Press-McKenzie who developed the charity out of her Pakuratahi Animal Sanctuary.
HUHA has about 500 animals at its shelters, including a monkey, donkeys and a very grumpy but lovable magpie.
The dog shelter is planning to move from its Ōtaki location after 12 years to HUHA’s new $3.5m premises on Haywards Hill, due to open June 2023.
The NZ Army is due to spend three months helping to finish the facility starting at the end of January.
HUHA also helps with desexing, community rehoming and advice to people about their pets.
HUHA has a disaster response team that helps nationally and internationally.