Waihi SPCA shuts its doors for good

After being temporarily closed for many months, SPCA Waihi will not re-open. Photo / Supplied

After a long hiatus, the decision has been made to permanently close Waihi's SPCA centre.

The facility closed its doors last year due to the covid-19 pandemic.

SPCA area manager Sue Kinsella says with so few animals needing help in Waihi over that time, services were offered out of the larger and fully equipped SPCA centres in neighbouring Tauranga, Thames and Hamilton.

Although the decision has been made to permanently close the facility on Dean Cres, she wants Waihi locals to know the full range of SPCA services will continue to be offered to the community.

"We can't rationalise the costs of keeping the centre in Waihi open with the limited number of animals coming through," she says.

"As a charity, we have a responsibility to use the donations entrusted to us by generous members of the public to deliver the best possible outcomes for the animals.

"The centre in Waihi was open with restricted hours before the pandemic and it had rudimentary infrastructures in place, so we felt that the animals in the region would be better served in larger centres," she says.

Maggie Andreassen who runs Waihi Town Cats is concerned the closure of the centre will put more pressure on small cat rescues like theirs and more animals in the area will be abandoned.

Her team have feeding stations around the town centre and raise funds through Waihi Town Cats Charity Shop for food, vet care and desexing costs.

''I get phone calls daily about cats that have been left behind — landlords don't allow pets — and I just don't have the room to take them all in.''

Waihi SPCA had taken some of the pressure off the Waihi Town Cats team, she says, so it's a ''real loss''.

But Sue says they are confident more can be done for the animals if they don't have to carry the cost of running and maintaining the centre.

''And we will be able to put more investment into things like community desexing that will have a more lasting impact and help solve the problem of unwanted and abandoned animals in the community."

Sue says that although the ''bricks and mortar'' centre in Waihi is closing permanently, animal lovers and those passionate about animal welfare in the region will not be forgotten.

SPCA will be vacating the lease and any funds raised through the local Waihi Op Shop will be used to support animals in the community through SPCA services such as inspectorate services, desexing and animal care.

"We are acutely aware of the generosity of the Waihi community in fundraising for SPCA and are therefore exploring a number of opportunities to ensure that the people of Waihi continue to benefit from SPCA support, but through more cost efficient, sustainable methods."

On Monday, SPCA launched a Snip 'n' Chip campaign in Waihi in association with Waihi Vets. The nationwide initiative has seen tens of thousands of animals desexed and microchipped across New Zealand in the past 12 months.

"The animals of Waihi will continue to be looked after and cared for. SPCA's ongoing work on preventing cruelty, educating the public and advocating for animal welfare will also remain the same," Sue says.

The SPCA Op Shop is not affected by the closure and will remain open, continuing to provide funds for animal welfare work in the community. SPCA's inspectorate coverage will also be unaffected by the centre's closure.

+ INFO: For more information on SPCA services and for prospective adoptive families, visit www.spca.nz where animals in all regions are available to view for adoption. Anyone wanting to report a welfare concern can call 578 0245 or email welfare@spca.nz