Cats in Whangarei District to be desexed and microchipped
Due to very popular demand over many years, our new rules for cats requiring them to be microchipped and desexed come into effect today. ๐
Good for cats ๐ปโ
Good for critters! ๐ฆโ
Our Health and Bylaws Manager, Reiner Mussle, has been part of the team to put this together. โDesexing cats will cut down on unwanted litters and strays which prey on native birds and lizards to survive. Desexed cats are also less likely to roam and get injured fighting with other cats. Cats' microchips registered with Companion Animals New Zealand can be returned more easily if they get lost.โ
Weโll be taking an educative approach to this issue rather than taking a hard line with enforcement. This means working with owners to encourage them to microchip, register and desex their cats, and connecting them with other community resources to do this if needed. Itโs about encouraging responsible cat ownership.
During the recent review of our Animals Bylaw the public
told us they wanted greater controls for cats. We received over 1300 submissions about cats, with very strong support for cat microchipping and desexing ๐
Read more on our new webpage for Responsible cat ownership .
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
โ ๏ธ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. โ ๏ธ
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
๐ The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50ยฐC in less than 15 minutes.
๐ Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
๐ This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
๐ It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you โค๏ธ