Horses for rescue

Donna Young

Since New Lives Animal Rescue was launched in October, it has rehomed more than 220 animals and established an op shop to raise money to fund the operation. Now, New Lives founder Donna Young said the charity is ready for its next big challenge - horses.

The charity was nominated as one of Equidays' preferred charities, and will be using the October event to launch their new horse rescue service.

"We used to have the Horse Protection League in the Waikato but that went up to Auckland so we've found there is a need for it," Donna said.

This is not the only new project for New Lives, which is also looking to launch a new education programme for schools, targeting those in South Waikato.

The education programme will include workbooks and activities on how to approach dogs and the instructor will, where possible, be accompanied by an animal to keep the children engaged.

Donna said showing children what it takes to raise a dog and the importance of getting the dog desexed were also programme goals.

New Lives differs from other animal charities because it does not keep its charges in shelters. Instead it relies on foster homes.

"We don't believe in having them in a shelter environment. We find when they go into a new home you can find out more about a dog, and shelters can be quite detrimental to their personality... they become institutionalised," she said.

A former SPCA inspector, Donna said foster homes were more beneficial for the dogs and their new owners.

"We won't give a fosterer a dog if they don't let them indoors. That's because we believe a dog should be part of the family. The dog should be indoors on a mat while people are watching TV in winter, not stuck outside in a kennel in the rain," she said.