CHB's SPCA Shelter will not reopen after 'temporary' closure

Closed for good - the CHB SPCA Shelter will not reopen.

After 33 years, the CHB SPCA Shelter is now closed, and local volunteers say CHB won't be the last.

Despite assurances that a closure of the CHB facility was temporary, NZ SPCA has announced the permanent closure of its Waipukurau shelter, following closures of those in Waihi, Gore, Waikanae and Kawerau.

Local volunteers are angry with the closure, saying it was underhanded and without consultation.

One of the CHB SPCA's founder members, Chris Whateley, was on the CHB SPCA committee until the 2017 merger with the NZ SPCA.

Whateley took to Facebook to say "head office knew full well our financial position and the on going running costs of the centre."

"We were assured continued security for our shelter that volunteers spent many thousands of hours in time to help develop, with the assistance of hundreds of thousands of dollars earned from Op Shop sales, fundraising, and from donations over the years since it's inception.

"Now after less than five years, this, despite the river of blood, sweat and tears that has been expended by many local volunteers that helped create the facility."

The shelter temporarily closed its doors at the beginning of May, due to staff shortages. Despite efforts to find an appropriate part-time centre team lead, including multiple job advertisements, a suitable candidate was not found, says SPCA area manager Bruce Wills.

"With so few animals coming through the centre, the cost of keeping it running was unsustainable for the charity, which relies on donations to operate its 32 centres nationwide," Wills says.

The organisation says it will be entering into a vet partnership with a local clinic to ensure animals in the region remain cared for.

Between May 2021 and May 2022, the Waipukurau shelter's incoming numbers of animals were 40 per cent down on the previous year.

Wills says factors contributing to this include desexing campaigns that have been undertaken in the area in the past two years, which will continue in the community.

But volunteers say the team lead job was not advertised locally and at least two local candidates who did apply did not receive a reply.

"The animal numbers were down because were in 'managed entry' mode," says CHB SPCA volunteer Gaye Campbell.

"We didn't have any animals because we weren't able to accept any, and we weren't receiving animals from Napier or Hastings despite having plenty of room and asking repeatedly."

An online petition to keep the shelter open generated 3000 signatures, a sign, Campbell says, that CHB SPCA has plenty of support.

"Many people are asking why there was no consultation with the community."

Speaking with RNZ, SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen says holding a public meeting would have been pointless.

"We debated internally about when to run that public meeting, but we didn't want to be disingenuous to the community, because we made the decision and there's nothing that they're going to say that can change that from a financial point of view and an animal welfare point of view. We have to operate with a business mindset."

Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker says she feels "disappointed and quite frankly, let down".

"They have made this decision in isolation from the rest of the community and I think that it's been relatively disingenuous actually.

"What we needed to see was them in the community, physically in the community talking to our people and understanding the depth of feeling," she told RNZ.

"We've got a centre which has been, over the last 30 years or so, purchased, looked after, fundraised for, developed and valued by our community and a decision has been made by people outside our community without working with us."

Midgen told RNZ, "We cannot rationalise the cost of keeping the Waipukurau Centre open when we have a national network that can serve the animals in this region, and the money it would have taken to bring the centre up to standard could be better spent elsewhere."

But Campbell says if a closure is needed, CHB shouldn't be the target.

"CHB has land, paddocks and access to the river for dog walking. Hastings and Napier SPCA shelters are very close together, Napier has less space and is in an industrial zone.

"Selling the Waipukurau facility will net the SPCA maybe $500,000. Selling Napier would make them a lot more money, and then CHB could stay open to serve our region and Tararua."

Campbell says if the Waipukurau facility is sold, the money should go back to the community.

The SPCA is holding a public meeting about the closure of the CHB SPCA Shelter at the Waipukurau War Memorial Hall on the corner of Herbert St and River Tce, Waipukurau, at 2pm on Wednesday July 13.