Ask an Expert

The most common animals we get at SPCA are cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs, though we often also have goats, chickens, pigs, sheep, and horses. SPCA occasionally has birds, mice, rats, reptiles, and cows as well! 

Animal cruelty is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal responsibly, like not giving a dog or cat food or water. It is against the law to be cruel to or harm animals - this includes all animals. It's also called animal abuse, or neglect. 

SPCA New Zealand is authorized to protect animals under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 (the Act). The Animal Welfare Act 1999 governs the welfare of animals in New Zealand by outlining how people should care and act towards all animals. 

Animal welfare refers to the humane treatment and well-being of an animal while animal rights refers to animals living free of human exploitation and deserving the same rights as people. 

We highly recommend adopting from SPCA (or another reputable animal rescue) for a number of reasons. For example:

1. When you adopt from SPCA, you’re saving a life. Animals come into our care because they have been neglected, abandoned and abused. When you adopt one of these animals, you’re giving them a second chance at a happy and healthy life.
2. Adopting a dog from SPCA saves more than one life. Not only do adoption fees help future animals but when you adopt, you make room in shelters for others.
3. When adopting, you will be properly matched with a dog that is most suitable for you. Our qualified staff know all about the dogs in our care and will be able to pair you with a dog that suits both yours and the dog’s need.  
4. Our staff also give expert advice about training, feeding, behaviour, etc. and will provide continued support to ensure the transition from shelter to home goes smoothly.
5. Dogs from SPCA come vet and temperament checked, microchipped, vaccinated, de-sexed, and registered with the council so it costs less than buying a dog from a pet store.
6. As all animals adopted out from SPCA are spayed and neutered, you’re helping to stop companion animal overpopulation.

When someone fosters an animal for SPCA, they are providing that animal with a temporary home.

Many of the animals that come into SPCA need additional care, treatment, and socialization before finding their forever home. Volunteer foster families help these animals recover from surgery, give them medicine, or work with them to improve their behaviour. Sometimes animals need additional care for several weeks or a couple of months depending on their circumstances.

Once a foster animal has made a full recovery and are ready for their forever homes, foster families return them to SPCA where they are put up for adoption. You can learn more about becoming a foster family here. 

When someone adopts an animal from SPCA, they are bringing that animal into their family and providing them with a loving, forever home. This means they are committing to being a responsible animal guardian (owner) for the rest of that animal's life. Adopting an animal from SPCA also requires an adoption fee. 

Each year, SPCA has to raise $47 million to continue their life-saving work!

To give you an idea about some of the costs associated with caring for SPCA animals, take a look at the list below: 

• $25 will provide medical treatment such as antibiotics, suture materials, vaccines, and bandages for one injured animal.
• $50 will keep an SPCA Inspector van on the road for one day, ensuring a quick response to the countless calls we receive from the public reporting animals in need.
• $100 will allow us to spay/neuter, vaccinate, and microchip one cat, preparing them to find their new forever home. This will prevent hundreds of unwanted kittens from being born.
• $150 will provide medical treatment and care for a litter of kittens and their mum until they are ready to find their new homes.
• $500 will provide medical treatment and care for a litter of puppies and their mum until we are able to find them loving homes.
• $500 will provide medical treatment and care for a litter of puppies and their mum.
• $720 will provide dental care for six horses.
• $1,000 will provide emergency medical treatment to a severely injured animal.

You can learn more about the costs of running SPCA here, how and why we fundraise here, and find more key statistics here.

Yes, sometimes people find themselves in the very unfortunate position of their animal adoption not working out. Sometimes, at no fault of anybody involved, it just isn’t the right match.

Sometimes, people don’t think carefully about all the factors that come with owning a pet e.g. the cost, the time and attention needed to be given to the animal, such as feeding, bathing, flea and worm treatments, grooming, exercising, playing, vet checks etc. This is when a pet may end up being given away, ignored or neglected.

An unsuccessful adoption is very upsetting for all of those involved, this is why SPCA staff work very hard to avoid people making spontaneous pet adoptions and do their best to educate people to ensure they fully understand all that is involved in owning a pet.

Remember: At the first sign of any behavioural issues or settling in problems - it is vital that your family seeks advice from the SPCA centre they adopted your pet from. If you did not adopt from an SPCA centre, contact your veterinarian for advice. 

The idea of asking for help for animals is nothing new. Even pre-Internet, SPCA mailed out pleas for help and utilized the telephone and word-of-mouth to find volunteers, foster homes, and adopters.

What sets social media apart from other forms of media is exactly how it got its name in the first place: the social component. The journey a message takes through a social network begins with a single Facebook update, Twitter tweet, or YouTube video upload.

From the point of view of the SPCA making the post, it really isn't that different from publishing something on a website. But for the people reading the message, it's completely different. They're not passive readers, but active supporters who participate in social media for the specific purpose of keeping up with the people and causes in which they have an interest. And because information-sharing is the currency of social media; people are there to let other people know what they're doing and thinking, and also what they believe in. Someone who believes in you and cares about your message will make sure to re-broadcast it to their own subscribers, who may do the same in turn.

That might be of limited use if it just bounced around the Internet to a closed circle of people in the animal shelter and rescue community. That's what happens on sites that are focused exclusively on a single issue; it becomes something of an echo chamber. But social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are made up of people with all kinds of diverse interests and points of connection.

Many of the animals that come to SPCA are sick or injured, so it can take a while for them to start recovering and begin feeling better.

A shelter environment is never an ideal place for any animal – any new environment is often frightening for an animal, unfamiliar noises, smells, people and other animals can be very scary and stressful. But, for most animals this environment is still a lot better than where they have come from.

SPCA staff and volunteers try very hard to reduce as much stress and fear as possible and keep every animal’s environment as safe and calm as possible, whilst ensuring all animals receive the love and understanding that they deserve. 

Many of the animals that come into the SPCA need a little extra time, care and love before finding their new forever home. Our wonderful foster families provide a temporary home for these animals as they recover from surgery or illness, or simply put on a little more weight before being spayed or neutered. 

No, sometimes there are not photos of all the animals available for adoption on our websites. As we have animals transferring into adoptions every day, it can take us a few days to get their details onto the internet. It is best to contact your local SPCA Centre and talk to the adoptions staff, who can inform you of any suitable animals. 

Yes, most definitely!

Research supporting animal sentience (being capable of experiencing different feelings and emotions  – both positive and negative) is strong and rapidly growing.

Scientists know that individuals from a wide variety of species experience emotions ranging from joy and happiness to deep sadness, grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder, along with empathy, jealousy and resentment.

For example, mice, rats, and chickens display empathy - and countless other "surprises" are rapidly emerging!

The Five Freedoms focuses on meeting the basic needs of an animal, while the Five Domains encourgaes positive experiences and recognise animals' emotional needs. 

You can learn more here.