Rotorua SPCA centre in desperate need of fosters to help with puppy and dog numbers

Rotorua SPCA centre manager Lynne Gillies with two of the young puppies needing forever homes. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua's SPCA centre is brimming with dogs and puppies in need of fosters and loving homes.

Centre manager Lynne Gillies says they are over capacity, with 34 puppies and six adult dogs in their care.

Some of these are currently in foster, and foster volunteers are the SPCA's unsung heroes, she says.

"We rely heavily on volunteers and fosterers. Time is just as important of a donation to us."

Lynne says the centre's inspectors are also really busy with animal welfare, as welfare issues and jobs are also on the increase.

"I think there's two reasons - one is the economy and cost of living, and because of that people aren't getting their animals desexed.

"I think a lot of people got dogs during Covid, and with the way everything is going they can't afford to keep them, and because the dogs are not desexed they're getting pregnant."

She says they try to rehome the abandoned animals they get in, but the centre also has to accommodate animals that have been seized or are under court orders and cannot be rehomed, which is why they are struggling with capacity at the moment. The centre has to prioritise the sick, vulnerable and injured animals first.

Lynne says she gets two to three inquiries on average a day wanting the SPCA to help rehome people's litters, which is something they cannot do.

"We have a really great core group of fosterers but they also need breaks ... We heavily rely on these people because we can't house them all here. They really are our unsung heroes."

Rotorua SPCA centre manager Lynne Gillies with a number of cuddly puppies at the centre. Photo / Andrew Warner

The centre provides everything for fosterers, such as food, bedding, litter, and vet costs.

It is also better for the pups to be in a home environment, learning things like toilet training and getting the experience they need to take to their forever homes, Lynne says.

She encourages anyone interested in being a foster rather than adopting to get in touch with them.

People could also help out by volunteering their time to come in and walk the dogs and help them get socialised, she says.

Lynne encourages people to contact the centre if they are struggling with getting their dogs desexed.

Over in Whakatāne the SPCA centre is also at capacity with dogs.

Centre manager Jo Chelley says at the moment they have 23 dogs at the centre and 17 available for adoption.

"This is definitely an increase that we haven't seen in a while. I'm thinking it must be because people aren't getting their dogs desexed."

She says the increase has been on the rise for about six months.

Jo says their centre is also in need of more foster homes for dogs and puppies.

"If they are in a home environment they learn so much more than they can at the centre."

She also reiterated that the centre provides fosters with everything needed. She says they need people that are able to be at home with the animals, and can give them the time and space to grow.

"We are very slow on adoptions, which is also very new for us.

"We've spent a lot of time with these dogs and can tell you about their personalities."

Jo says adopting an animal is very rewarding, and that if some people are thinking about adopting but are unsure, then being a foster first is a good stepping stone.

She encourages people get to get their dogs desexed, and if owners can't afford it, to get in touch with them.

• To find out more about the dogs and puppies available to adopt go to the SPCA website. For more information call the Rotorua SPCA on (07) 349 2955 and the Whakatāne centre on (07) 308 4608.