COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS: SPCA CENTRES BECOMING TOO FULL

The SPCA is waiting with “bated breath” to find out whether the level 4 lockdown will be extended, as centres across the country start to reach capacity.

Chief executive Andrea Midgen said the SPCA had managed to adopt out more than 1000 animals just before the lockdown began, but after nearly four weeks the centres were again starting to become full.

“We’re starting to fill up again so we’re waiting with bated breath like the rest of the country [for today’s announcement].”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to announce at 4pm today whether New Zealand will drop down to alert level 3, or remain in an extended lockdown in a bid to stamp out coronavirus.

“If we were in lockdown for another month, it would be really, really bad,” Midgen said.

The SPCA is not adopting animals out during alert level 4, but is allowed to send animals to be fostered. In level 3 they will be allowed to start adopting again, she said.

Midgen couldn’t say exactly what would happen if lockdown extended and the centres became too full, but said it would be “quite problematic”.

There was no way of knowing how many animals would come into the centres over the next few weeks.

“It’s scary how many animals there are that need to be rehomed.

“The biggest thing we need is desexing animals across the country unless you’re a registered breeder . . . then we would stop a whole heap of this from happening.”

While veterinary services are considered an essential service during level 4, desexing was not, so once restrictions were eased the SPCA would still have a backlog of animals needing to be fixed before they could be adopted out, Midgen said.

If the lockdown was to extend, they would argue for desexing to be included as an essential service.

Financially the SPCA was also struggling in some areas, with op shops around the country closed down, and donations “down a bit” overall.

“The Government has done a grand job on the whole wage subsidy thing, so that has really helped.”

The charity is facing a possible loss of $1 million in income due to the virus.

To help combat this, SPCA is partnering with online pet store Pet Depot.

Once the start-up breaks even – which is expected within the next six to nine months – 30 per cent of all profits will go directly to the SPCA.

The funds raised through the partnership will go towards the running of SPCA and will help the organisation to rescue, shelter and rehome more than 40,000 injured, abandoned and abused animals each year; provide medical treatment, as well as vaccinations, microchips and desexing services.

The partnership will go towards helping animals like Bam Bam and Pebbles, two kittens who were found huddled together in a Wellington park just before the lockdown began.

A local found the kittens while out for a walk with their dog and took them to the vet.

Pebbles had to be syringe fed every few hours as she struggled to gain weight, had no energy, and simply sat staring instead of playing like a kitten normally would.

The kittens are in foster care until they can be adopted out after lockdown.