The Star: July 07, 2022
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>July</strong> 7 <strong>2022</strong><br />
8<br />
NEWS<br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
SPCA shocked after 22 starving<br />
• By Susan Sandys<br />
SAVED: Jaz Crowther of the SPCA with Remus and<br />
Plimpy.<br />
IT WAS the biggest single<br />
dumping of animals in at least 10<br />
years, and one that shocked the<br />
SPCA.<br />
Twenty-two small puppies were<br />
found alongside the Waimakariri<br />
River, cold and starving.<br />
It is the second dumping of<br />
pets in the area in recent weeks,<br />
following a disabled kunekune<br />
being left to die on the side of the<br />
road at West Melton last month,<br />
which was reported in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong>.<br />
Christchurch SPCA foster<br />
and volunteer team leader Jaz<br />
Crowther said when the call<br />
came in from a woman saying<br />
she had found 22 puppies running<br />
around alongside the river,<br />
staff could scarcely believe it.<br />
“Maybe there’s only like five,<br />
and they are just running really<br />
fast,” Crowther said when describing<br />
their thoughts.<br />
An inspector was, however,<br />
able to confirm the number, and<br />
soon the SPCA was on its way<br />
to the scene. Crowther said the<br />
woman had been able to gather<br />
them all up, and SPCA staff<br />
ended up meeting her on the<br />
road half way. <strong>The</strong> precise location<br />
of the dumping could not be<br />
confirmed as the finder herself<br />
had not known exactly where<br />
it was.<br />
Crowther said after getting<br />
their canine load back to<br />
headquarters, staff triaged six<br />
as needing urgent veterinary<br />
care. <strong>The</strong> remaining 16 could<br />
go straight to quarantine for<br />
weighing and flea and worm<br />
treatment.<br />
All of the puppies were underweight,<br />
cold and riddled with<br />
worms. Apart from the critically<br />
ill ones at the vet that required<br />
syringe feeding, the remainder<br />
“woofed down” their first meal.<br />
“MIRACLE”:<br />
Niffler<br />
is now<br />
doing well<br />
following<br />
emergency<br />
care and<br />
lots of love.<br />
Following tradition, staff set<br />
out to name the puppies according<br />
to a theme. <strong>The</strong>y were helped<br />
along in this regard by a plethora<br />
of characters in the Harry Potter<br />
books.<br />
<strong>The</strong> puppies’ names are Bellatrix,<br />
Plimpy, Remus, Gilderoy,<br />
Niffler, Myrtle, Norbert, Hedwig,<br />
Fleur, Tonks, Peeves, Hagrid,<br />
Pygmy Puff, Fang, Dobby, Sybil,<br />
Nymphadora, Harpy, Pansy,<br />
Newt, Griffin and Sirius.<br />
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