Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

SPCA Reveals Most Shocking Cases of Animal Abuse in NZ

Friday 22nd February 2019

SPCA Reveals Most Shocking Cases of Animal Abuse in New Zealand

Two elderly poodles, neglected to the point where they no longer looked like dogs, have topped this year’s SPCA List of Shame.

The full list, released today, details fifteen of the worst cases of animal abuse and neglect seen by SPCA over the last twelve months, and includes German Shepherds rescued from an abhorrent puppy mill, a kitten left to die in a rubbish bin and chronic neglect of a pony which was left unable to stand and assessed at the highest end of recognised pain scales.

The List of Shame has been released ahead of SPCA’s Annual Appeal which takes place from March 4 to 10. The Annual Appeal encourages funding to support the 41,000 animals rescued by SPCA every year.

SPCA Chief Executive, Andrea Midgen, says: “The List of Shame will shock you. 2018 was a particularly cruel year for some of New Zealand’s animals with SPCA Inspectors seeing many cases of intense neglect and extreme violence towards animals.

“SPCA Annual Appeal is our biggest fundraising event of the year, which is why it’s so important for the public to get onboard and help put an end to animal cruelty in our country.”

Each year, SPCA spends more than $9 million running the Inspectorate – which includes rescuing animals and prosecuting animal offenders. SPCA is the only charity in New Zealand with the legal powers to help animals in need and bring offenders to justice.

“SPCA receives less than 1% government funding to run the Inspectorate, which is why any donation, no matter how small or large, makes a huge difference to ensuring we recruit enough Inspectors to protect the lives of animals in need.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Fronting this year’s Annual Appeal are Daisy and Lola, two elderly poodle crosses that were found with coats matted and overgrown. The siblings should have been groomed every 6-8 weeks but instead were neglected for almost two years.

SPCA Inspector, Kelly King, was the person who rescued Daisy and Lola. “When we found the sisters, we couldn’t believe the neglect that had taken place – they didn’t even look like dogs. Both were suffering with arthritis, extensive dental disease, were deaf from multiple ear infections and were nearly blind. It took six nurses and vets an hour to remove the matted fur from each dog.”

Daisy and Lola have since been adopted together into a loving home and are flourishing with their new owners.

“We understand that the list can be distressing to see, but this is the harsh reality of what our devoted SPCA Inspectors encounter every day. Without these Inspectors, cases such as Daisy and Lola’s, may not have the happy ending they have. It’s stories such as these that showcase just how critical the work of SPCA really is. We’d love Kiwis to get behind us as we continue to rescue and care for animals, who so desperately need protection, across New Zealand,” adds Midgen.

You can get involved in this year’s SPCA Annual Appeal by donating to street collectors around the country from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th March 2019, or online at: www.spca.nz/AnnualAppeal2019


http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1902/EMBARGOED_SPCA_LIST_OF_SHAME_2019.pdf

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.