SPCA saddened by puppy dumping

A foster care mum in Hamilton is enjoying the sound of little feet scurrying around her house.

Not the human kind, but those of puppies.

They are the second litter of puppies found dumped in Matamata, since August.

Waikato SPCA Centre Manager Laura Vander Kley says the first litter of pups was found dumped by a river in August this year.

They were found by a member of the public, handed into one of the Matamata veterinary services and collected by the Hamilton SPCA.

The second litter was discovered in Centennial Drive this month.

Vander Kley says both litters are thriving and fortunate to be found.

‘‘I think the people put them somewhere where they would be found, but at the same time you are gambling, you just don’t know who could have been passing by,’’ she said.

The littler found in August was in poor health, but under the care of both the vets in Matamata, volunteers at the Hamilton SPCA and a caring foster mum, they have all been re-homed.

‘‘The three pups were homed within 1.5 weeks.

‘‘The foster mum did a great job with them,’’ Vander Kley said.

The littler found this month was full of ‘‘fat chunky’’ puppies but had come off mum too soon and missed a lot of necessary nurturing from their mother.

‘‘We will do what we can to bring them up, but it’s not as good as nature.

‘‘Weaning is important - it starts at about four weeks till the seventh-eigth week - depending on litter size. But she teaches them a lot.’’

Vander Kley says a human foster will introduce the pups to other dogs and a variety of people and loud noises.

‘‘It means you have a better well rounded dog able to take on the world better.’’

Puppy dumping happens all across the country and Vander Kley says although these puppies had a positive outcome, it was just poor decision making on the part of the owner.

‘‘I know it can be stressful to have too many animals and you can’t feed them.

‘‘But there is so much support out there that I feel leaving them abandoned is not okay - again they have no idea who is going to find them - or if they will be found.’’