SPCA confiscates dietary menagerie

A Petone woman is upset that 67 animals and birds she kept for dietary reasons have been taken from her and that she's been ordered by Hutt City Council to clean her home.

The SPCA, which removed the pets, and Hutt City Council are taking action against her.

Margaret Kelly said her rabbits, bantams and quails were vital to her health and the canaries, budgies and finches were part of a long-term study and book she was writing on her allergies.

Mrs Kelly, who is on an invalid's benefit, said she kept the rabbits, bantams and quails to provide her with food that she needed as she is allergic to many things including wheat, milk, beef, lamb and pork.

"I'm relying on the rabbits for meat and the chickens and quails were kept for their eggs."

She said she couldn't eat store-bought eggs and the animals had to be kept inside as she is also allergic to grass, pollen and the sun.

"I'm also allergic to people because of their scent and the things they eat and I can't sit down because I'm allergic to rubber."

She said she couldn't stand the scent coming from the nearby Lever soap powder plant and had also turned off the water main as she is allergic to the chlorine in reticulated water.

She filters and boils rainwater she collects from her roof to cook and bathe with.

She didn't believe she was causing any nuisance to her neighbours and said her house was not a health hazard.

Mrs Kelly said she was unable to clean up her house because she has injured knees and she was also looking after an elderly lady who lived nearby.

Picking her way through her cluttered home -- stacked with water drums, boxes of newspapers, empty cages, food for her menagerie and household appliances -- Mrs Kelly said she would be grateful for any help to clean up.

"I can't do what they said, especially right at the moment. I feel I'm being unfairly got at."

The SPCA, escorted by the police, visited her home earlier this month to take the animals away.

SPCA animal welfare manager Hans Kriek said it was an unhealthy situation. There were rabbits, chickens, quails, finches, pigeons, doves and a guinea pig in cages stacked on top of each other in two rooms.

Inspectors also took away a cat and a dog.

"It's the sort of thing that happens to animal collectors. They don't know when to stop."

The birds and animals were kept in filthy conditions and needed to be removed to the shelter.

He said it was atrocious and because of the smell inspectors who went into the home had to wear masks.

The SPCA was considering taking legal action to disqualify her from keeping animals as she was not able to look after them properly.

Hutt City Council health inspector John Pepper, who visited the house with the SPCA inspectors, said the council had issued a cleanup notice.

There was a very strong stench from urine and droppings.

There had been earlier problems with Ms Kelly about three or four years ago.

Mr Pepper said Hutt Valley Health had also been contacted to see whether help could be made available to her.

- NZPA