Bay of Islands Animal Rescue robbed of a month's food supply - community to the rescue

Summer Johnson from Bay of Islands Animal Rescue is heartbroken after the food container robbery. Photo / Jenny Ling

A container filled with animal supplies at the Bay of Island animal rescue in Kerikeri was broken into recently and a month's animal food was stolen.

BOIAR has rescued more than 200 puppies, a couple of hundred cats and kittens, and other animals in the last eight weeks. The charity also looks after the community pets, in addition to taking care of the rescued animals.

Founder Summer Johnson says she is very heartbroken from the robbery as the food was going to feed a lot of mouths.

"A month's worth of cat and dog food was stolen while the rest of the stuff was thrashed. The volunteers are yet to identify how much stuff was taken. We have been really busy and honestly, it is heartbreaking to go near the container."

Johnson believes the robbers came up from the neighbour's driveway and entered the property. The container was inside the property when they broke into it.

The charity has now put up a bigger chain and a padlock for additional security.

Bay of Island Animal Rescue charity rescued more than 200 dogs in the last two months. Photo / Supplied

BOIAR has been receiving huge community support since the robbery, says Johnson.

The community donated lots of pet food, kennels, and other essentials. Two people had put up the CCTV cameras outside the building free of cost. New World supermarket Kerikeri also donated a $500 gift voucher to cover the expenses.

Johnson said she could not bear to check the container for what the robbers might have taken and what it meant for the animals.

This was not the first time the charity had been robbed of animal essentials. In January this year, their puppy van was stolen. The police were able to track down the robber and the van returned to the charity. In the last three years, there had been four van break-ins and robberies at Bay of Islands Animal Rescue.