“We have two high-anxiety dogs so we made sure they had a big walk before the fireworks started.”
On the night, they also asked for help to pitch in to care for the animals, with eight staff and volunteers on hand for the cats, dogs and rabbits at the centre.
“The staff kept walking around and the volunteers were stationed at their spots.”
Overall, said Ross-Waitai, the animals coped better than expected with the disturbance.
“The animals did really well and we were lucky to have so many staff and volunteers in.”
Some volunteers brought their families along, making an extra-fun experience for their children who could alternate between joining in with the Big Bang fun and cuddling up with the centre’s animals.
Lake Taupō Rotary president Jackie Robinson said having one larger fireworks display may reduce the number of bangs the animals heard throughout the night.
“Centralising the fireworks means you haven’t got neighbours constantly setting them off.
“[The SPCA Taupō centre] were able to plan ahead.
“We also let the vets know as well as the kennels and catteries so they can prepare.”
The Lake Taupō Rotary donation comes at a time of high need for the SPCA centre, which is currently caring for around 100 animals.
Summer is a particularly busy time as large numbers of kittens, as well as pregnant mother cats, come into the shelter.
This week, that meant around 70 kittens to care for, all of which need feeding, flea and worm treatment and desexing before they can be rehomed.
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