A 7-year-old terrier-cross dog finally has a chance at freedom after being caged in squalor her whole life, but needs an $800 operation in order to live the rest of her days pain-free.
Little Mama is one of 48 dogs surrendered by the owner of a "puppy mill" in Te Kuiti.
The dog was brought to Central Hawke's Bay SPCA with three others, after authorities split the animals up among SPCA shelters around the North Island.
"A puppy mill is where lots of dogs are kept for the sole purpose of breeding," CHB SPCA shelter co-manager Renee Hickey said. "They are held in cages and it's all about puppies, puppies puppies. They were kept in appalling conditions. Apparently, they were sitting on months' worth of faeces and urine."
When the dogs arrived at the SPCA, all were very timid, flea-ridden and had long nails, but Little Mama, the most outgoing, showed signs of needing medical attention.
"She was peeing all the time, so we took her to the vet and an x-ray showed she has two massive bladder stones, which means she can only hold about two teaspoons of urine."
Vet Caroline Robertson, of Vet Services in CHB, said an operation to remove the stones was fairly invasive, and afterwards Little Mama would need an on-going diet plan, costing about $60 a month, to prevent them from coming back.
"We remove the rock-hard stones physically and then we need to change her diet in the future forever. If her diet is not changed it is likely they will return."
Ms Robertson said the painful bladder stones could have been growing undetected for years. "They have been there for some time and because they rattle around in the bladder, the bladder wall becomes thickened and red - it's quite a painful condition."
The good news is, Little Mama should recover quickly.
"Within a few days she will be bouncing back, then all she will need is someone who is going to commit to her for a lifetime."
The tiny terrier has endured a lot and though she has never been properly socialised, she is explorative and loves to have her tummy rubbed, Ms Hickey said.
"It's surprising how friendly she is, she bends over backwards to get your attention."
However, in order to find Little Mama a new home, the SPCA first needs help to pay for her operation. "We don't have a lot of funds so we really, really need some help to get to the next step.
"It's just heartbreaking. She is finally free after seven years living in a cage. We don't want to have to put her down."
Three other dogs, including a second terrier-cross and two shih tzus, are all ready for adoption.
"They are all quite timid, but if anyone's interested, they would do a lot better in a home. We will give anyone who takes them a voucher to have them de-sexed."
To donate money for Little Mama's surgery please call the SPCA on (06) 858 8933, 8am-12pm and 3pm-4.30pm.