Prisoners on track to rehome dogs
A greyhound named Sugar was the unlikely star of a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters to Rimutaka Prison.
Peters was there to recognise inmates graduating from a Howard League literacy programme and to meet people associated with the GreatMates Greyhound Rehoming trial programme.
Nationwide, 57 per cent of inmates have low literacy skills.
The Howard League runs a volunteer programme teaching prisoners to read and write, and the skills needed for a driver’s licence.
Peters told the inmates he supported rehabilitation and urged them to use their new found skills to start a better life outside prison.
‘‘You have the visa to get there and that visa is called education.’’
However, it was Sugar – now known as Archie – that stole the show getting a warm welcome from the Upper Hutt prisoners.
The dog had been rehomed but returned for the graduation ceremony.
GreatMates teams former racing dogs with prisoners, who look after the dog for eight weeks.
Prisoners prepare them for a new home, teaching dogs obedience and how to socialise with people.
One long-term prisoner said he had grown up in an environment where dogs were mistreated.
Not only had he never bonded with animals, he also found it hard to relate to people.
Having to care for an animal and engage with it, had been a positive learning experience. He treated his dog as a form of meditation and the calming effect even helped him sleep. ‘‘I spent a lot of time with my dog being calm and patient.’’
It had also increased his confidence around people.
Greyhound New Zealand chief executive Mairi Stewart said the Rimutaka trial had been a big success.
She hoped to extend it to other prisons, particularly in Canterbury where there was a large greyhound population.
‘‘From the dog’s perspective, it is fantastic for setting them up in a new home. They get a lot of attention here and learn skills they don’t have on the track.’’ Horses suffering from severe cases of neglect – including starvation and untreated parasitic infections to the point where they could not stand up – feature among the worst cases of animal abuse on this year’s SPCA list of shame.
The annual list comes just days after 10-year-old miniature pony Star died after being stabbed 41 times.
Ranking fifth on the list was Cashew the pony, who had chronic laminitis, a painful condition that is caused by untrimmed hooves.
He was seen rocking and lying on the ground to alleviate the pain, which was found to be at the highest possible pain level recognised by veterinarians. He ultimately had to be euthanised.
His owner, Peter Michael Walters, a former pony club president, was found guilty of ill-treatment. It was his second conviction for abusing Cashew, having previously been found guilty in 2010. He had a further animal cruelty conviction in 1999.
Another horse, a chestnut gelding, was found starving, left extremely thin and covered in insects, with all its skeletal features showing. It was so weak it was struggling to stay upright and could barely walk, and was suffering from gum ulcers and a parasite infection.
Vets concluded that the horse would not survive more than another week, and made the decision to euthanise. The owner was charged with reckless ill-treatment of an animal.
Other disturbing cases included dogs beaten with weapons, and kittens left to die in rubbish bins.
Elderly poodle cross dogs Daisy and Lola were named the worst case of the year. They were rescued by an SPCA inspector from an owner who had neglected them for the better part of two years.
Their coats were extremely matted and overgrown, they both had arthritis and extensive dental disease, and were deaf from infection and nearly blind. They have since received extensive surgery and had their infections treated, and have been adopted together into a new home.
Dogs were the most represented animal on the list, taking up 10 of the 15 spots.
These included a case where the SPCA seized 40 german shepherds from a puppy farm where they were kept on short leashes, tangled in urine-soaked newspaper and living among their own waste.
A stranger entry on the list was several sparrows, pigeons and other birds found with tinsel and other trinkets tied around their necks, restricting movement and causing some to die of starvation. The person responsible has not yet been identified.
The SPCA said 2018 was a particularly bad year, with many inspectors dealing with cases of intense neglect and extreme violence towards animals.
‘‘We understand that the list can be distressing to see, but this is the harsh reality of what our devoted SPCA inspectors encounter every day,’’ said chief executive Andrea Midgen.
The list of shame has been released ahead of the SPCA’s annual appeal from March 4–10.