Western News: May 06, 2021
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4 Thursday <strong>May</strong> 6 <strong>2021</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
WESTERN NEWS<br />
From army life to rescuing and<br />
• By Bea Gooding<br />
MARK WEAVER had a lot more<br />
time to spare after concluding<br />
20 years of service with the<br />
army reserve, so that’s when he<br />
decided to rescue the abandoned<br />
dogs of Canterbury.<br />
It started with the adoption<br />
of his first dog – Weaver was<br />
training his black labrador collie<br />
cross when he thought to put<br />
those skills to good use at the<br />
Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust.<br />
Four years later, he has pawed<br />
his way to the top, from training,<br />
walking and exercising<br />
the rescued dogs from pounds<br />
across the region, to ensuring the<br />
rehoming process runs smoothly<br />
as the trust’s new chairman.<br />
It was a long way from the<br />
tours he served in East Timor<br />
and Egypt, and his current<br />
project management job, but his<br />
affinity with animals meant he<br />
has always been conscious for<br />
ensuring they were treated with<br />
respect.<br />
“I haven’t always had a dog, I<br />
grew up with cats,” he said<br />
“But I’ve always had an affinity<br />
with animals, and I’ve always<br />
been conscious for ensuring<br />
they’re treated the right way.<br />
“I’ve always had that mindset<br />
that you’ve got to give back to<br />
Read local<br />
RESCUE: Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust chairman Mark Weaver with rescue dog Kora. Weaver<br />
helps abandoned dogs from the pound find their new forever homes.<br />
the community, so that’s part of<br />
it, the other part is improving<br />
the lives of the dogs – it’s just as<br />
important as improving the lives<br />
of the people who adopt [them].”<br />
Dogwatch rescues, cares for,<br />
and rehomes dogs that have been<br />
abandoned at council pounds in<br />
Christchurch, Selwyn, Rangiora<br />
and Ashburton, for the last 39<br />
years.<br />
The trust rehomes dogs when<br />
the pound can no longer keep<br />
them, especially if owners do not<br />
come forward, or if they were<br />
surrendered from private situations,<br />
such as deceased owners.<br />
It operates from a two hectare,<br />
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Management<br />
Amazing<br />
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purpose-built adoption centre<br />
in Bromley with large outdoor<br />
yards and exercise paddocks.<br />
It also educated owners about<br />
their moral and legal responsibility<br />
when owning a dog to prevent<br />
dogs from being seized by the<br />
city council in the first place, by<br />
providing advice, food, bedding<br />
and crates.<br />
“We’re just trying to be a ‘sign’<br />
at the top of the hill rather than<br />
the ambulance at the bottom.”<br />
Last year alone, 160 dogs were<br />
rehomed. It was about the average<br />
number of canines that were<br />
adopted out each year since the<br />
trust was established nearly four<br />
decades ago.<br />
The original founders were<br />
not satisfied with the conditions<br />
of the city council’s pound back<br />
then, so they started to rescue<br />
and foster the vulnerable dogs<br />
themselves, growing into what it<br />
is today.<br />
Said Weaver: “I think it’s<br />
rewarding to see a dog that<br />
comes in that’s just terrified of<br />
everything, and over time, with<br />
the right understanding, that<br />
dog turns around and becomes<br />
the quintessential, happy dog.<br />
“It’s why you do it – it’s why<br />
you’re out there, in the rain and<br />
the cold, picking up dog poo and<br />
doing the less glamorous bits.”<br />
A fAmily friendly club<br />
lookinG for Junior & senior<br />
players to Join us in <strong>2021</strong><br />
Go to our facebook paGe:<br />
facebook.com/riccartonkniGhtsrlc<br />
The service we received from Cameron and his team was first<br />
class. From managing the marketing campaign and putting<br />
together the paperwork, through the open homes and right<br />
through to auction day<br />
the service was gold standard.<br />
- Jacqueline & Richard -<br />
Phone or text 027 555 7079<br />
REINZ Salesperson of the Year across all brands in NZ<br />
cameron.bailey@harcourts.co.nz<br />
No.1 Harcourts Canterbury 2012-2020<br />
No.1 Harcourts New Zealand 2017-2020<br />
www.cameronbailey.harcourts.co.nz No.1 Harcourts International 2017-2020<br />
Licensed Sales Consultant REAA 2008