A Whangarei woman has been prosecuted by SPCA after her dog Goliath was found emaciatedwith protruding ribs, vertebrae, pelvis bones and a loss of muscle mass. The defendant was found guilty in the Whangarei District Court of failing to ensure the physical health and behavioural needs of an animal were being met. The case began when SPCA Inspectors visited the defendant’s property and found her Neapolitan mastiff cross Goliath chained to a running wire. The yard was very overgrown and Goliath had a picnic table tilted on its side for shelter. He had no access to water. Goliath was a thin body condition with hair loss over all four legs and fly bitten ears. SPCA Inspectors advised the defendant that Goliath had lost too much weight and to provide him...

With their specks of grey fur, a wobbly walk and a penchant for stubbornness, senior pets are oh-so-charming. Sadly, senior pets in a shelter environment are often overlooked in favour of puppies and kittens. Here we share seven reasons why you should consider adopting a senior pet. Senior pets are older and wiser While many people believe that older pets wind up in an animal shelter because of behaviour problems, most of the time it isn’t the fault of the animal at all. Common reasons why adult or senior pets are given up include their owner has sadly passed away or moved overseas, the loss of a job, or a family member developing allergies. Well-trained and wellbehaved pets find themselves up for adoption all the time. When you adopt a...

Monday the 5th of November is often the scariest day of the year for pets, who can become distressed when they hear fireworks. While most humans will enjoy the celebrations around Guy Fawkes, many pets unfortunately are traumatised by fireworks, says SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen. Each year SPCA receives dozens of calls relating to fireworks issues including: animal injuries, frightened animals, missing pets, and occasionally, abuse of animals. “Many animals have acute hearing so loud bangs can really scare them. Fireworks can be terrifying to pets who become highly stressed by them,” Ms Midgen says. “Unfortunately, Guy Fawkes can lead to animals running away and going missing, injuring themselves or becoming susceptible to traffic accidents. We urge pet owners to keep their pets inside and safe on Guy Fawkes night.”...

Store-bought pet toys can be quite costly, but with a little time and some materials from around your home, you can make your own at a fraction of the price! Making your own pet toys is a great way to keep both you and your children entertained: children will have fun getting creative, and your pets will appreciate playing with the end product. With Christmas just around the corner its the perfect opportunity for you to get crafty! We've put together some easy-to-make toys that everyone in the family can get involved with. Toys for dogs - plaited tug toys Dogs and puppies love having something to play and chew on – just make sure that they don’t start eating bits of the toy! You can make rope toys for...