Dogs rescued after days in car

When west Auckland woman Kat Tafuna noticed two dogs sitting in a car outside her place on Monday morning she didn’t think anything of it.

But when Tafuna saw the dogs still sitting there on Monday evening and when her neighbour said he had noticed the dogs sitting in the car since Friday, she knew she had to do something.

The couple phoned the council, police and the SPCA but didn’t want to wait to help the dogs.

Luckily a window was slightly open.

This meant that Tafuna and her partner were able to feed them some water.

‘‘I was so mad. I really thought someone had just neglected them,’’ she says.

‘‘They were so skinny and there was nothing in the car.

‘‘There was one small packet of biscuits but it was finished.

‘‘I have never seen dogs like that. They were skin and bones.

‘‘If they were there another day they would have died I think.’’

A post on the Glen Eden Facebook page attracted about 70 comments in the first five minutes.

Many people offered to come and break the dogs out.

‘‘I knew Glen Eden is a dog-loving community so I knew if I posted there, someone would know what to do,’’ she says.

A number of people offered to help and together they were able to open the driver’s door and get the dogs out.

Police confirmed the dogs were taken to the vet and then to the SPCA about 8.30pm.

The car had been reported stolen and the owner was eventually found and reunited with his animals.

The man, who did not want to be named, says he was ‘‘thankful that my pups were brought back to me safely’’.

‘‘It wasn’t the vehicle that I was worried about.

‘‘These pups mean family to me and that’s why I am delighted to have them back here at home where they are safe.’’

SPCA chief inspector Greg Reid says there was nothing wrong with the dogs medically.

He says it wasn’t ideal to have dogs in cars but people shouldn’t interfere by breaking them out.

It can cause issues with aggression if the dogs are protective of their space.