Hamilton SPCA alone recorded more than 1200 complaints about animal welfare. Photo / 123RF
Waikato is near the top of the charts when it comes to animal welfare, but not in a good way.
The SPCA has revealed Waikato is nearly the worst region for cruelty complaints from July 2024 to June this year, second behind Auckland.
Auckland had about 4000 complaints, while Waikato had almost 2000.
Hamilton SPCA alone recorded more than 1200 of those complaints, and is the third-busiest branch in the country behind Auckland and Christchurch.
More than 60% of complaints involved dogs, and 69% were linked to concerns about physical health and behavioural needs.
The SPCA’s general manager of animal services, Dr Corey Regnerus-Kell, said the increasing level of complaints “is the reality that our teams are dealing with”.
In larger cities like Auckland and Wellington, high complaint numbers were expected – “but we wouldn’t have expected Hamilton and Waikato to be the third-highest in the country,” he told the Waikato Herald.
There were two key categories the SPCA looked at when dealing with complaints: neglect, which could sometimes be unintentional, and cruelty, which was often deliberate.
In terms of neglect, sometimes people didn’t fully understand what an animal should be provided with.
Regnerus-Kell said a dog’s needs included “food, water, and shelter”, but shelter didn’t mean “leaving them on a chain or in a kennel 24/7″.
The high volume of cruelty complaints was “the most concerning part”, especially with physical ill treatment of dogs on the rise.
One of the cases reported in Hamilton was a dog tied to a vehicle with its leg bound by a thick rope, and a chain wrapped with electrical tape underneath it.
Regnerus-Kell described the dog’s state as “atrocious”.
The rope was so thick the bolt cutters the inspectorate team used couldn’t cut the rope, and instead they had to use a hacksaw to cut it and safely remove the dog from the property.
“It wasn’t able to move really at all, which wasn’t allowing it to eat. It was very skinny.”
Equine cruelty was also on the rise, as three “severely underweight” horses were recently found on a lifestyle block.
One of the horses had a leg injury and was unable to stand. It was euthanised on-site, while the other two were removed and rehabilitated by the SPCA.
Regnerus-Kell said it was “hard” to pinpoint the reason for the rise in complaints, but animal inspectors often saw owners not following through with vet treatment recommendations.
He said there was an “ongoing gap” between affordable pet healthcare and someone’s daily challenges.
Referring to “pet poverty”, where a household with a medium income earned well but faced price increases on rent, groceries, and daycare, he said things could become “challenging”.
“All of that just adds extra pressure on to it that we’re not seeing the ability to care for the animals that need it, despite there being a good intent.”
In certain situations, such as someone financially struggling, the SPCA could assist with a portion of vet bills in urgent cases so animals could “immediately” receive care.
With nearly 2000 welfare complaints in the region, making up 13% of nationwide complaints, Regnerus-Kell said it was “not what we want to see”.
With summer being the “busiest time of year” for them, he expected complaints to increase, with people leaving their dogs in hot cars and spaces.
If anyone had concerns around the ill-treatment of animals, the SPCA advised them to make contact or file an online detailed report for investigation.
The “ideal outcome” for the organisation was to have an animal owner work with them to fix the situation, and to provide education and support.
When someone understood the impact they had on an animal, and rectified the situation with the SPCA having a “strong suspicion” they wouldn’t do it again, the matter was resolved.
If not, consequences could range from a formal written warning or an education letter to infringements, fines, and even prosecution.
Regnerus-Kell wanted the public to know SPCA staff were “really friendly”.
“[We] really want to actually work with people,” he said.
“At the end of the day, that’s the best way we make a difference in animal welfare, together and collaboratively.”
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.