In accordance with Rule 20, notice is hereby given of the 85th Annual General Meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Incorporated, to be held at 5pm on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, at SPCA’s Wellington Centre, 140 Alexandra Road, Newtown, Wellington.

Agenda

Welcome
Roll call
Apologies
Confirmation of the minutes of the 2017 Annual General Meeting
Matters arising from the minutes
Presentation of the 2017 / 2018 Annual Report by the Chairperson
Presentation and approval of the audited Annual Financial Statements for the 2017 / 18 Financial Year including the Auditor’s report
Any motion(s) proposing to alter the Constitution
Approval of Auditor for the next Financial Year
Approval of the Membership fee from 1 July 2019
Honorary & Life members currently $0 per annum
Members currently $40 per annum
Proposed Motions or other items of business – Constitution Rule 20.5
Close of Annual General Meeting

A Whangarei woman has been prosecuted by SPCA after her dog Goliath was found emaciatedwith protruding ribs, vertebrae, pelvis bones and a loss of muscle mass.

The defendant was found guilty in the Whangarei District Court of failing to ensure the physical health and behavioural needs of an animal were being met.

The case began when SPCA Inspectors visited the defendant’s property and found her Neapolitan mastiff cross Goliath chained to a running wire. The yard was very overgrown and Goliath had a picnic table tilted on its side for shelter. He had no access to water.

Goliath was a thin body condition with hair loss over all four legs and fly bitten ears. SPCA Inspectors advised the defendant that Goliath had lost too much weight and to provide him with adequate shelter and treatment for his skin.

SPCA Inspectors followed up with the defendant twice and on the second visit found Goliath tangled around his running wire, unable to reach his shelter. He had lost a significant amount of weight and his left eye appeared to be infected.

SPCA Inspectors seized Goliath and took him for veterinary care.

The veterinarian concluded that Goliath was in pain and discomfort due to malnutrition, and it was likely he had been suffering for several weeks.

In SPCA’s care Goliath was fed four meals a day and in five weeks had reached his ideal body weight.At the Centre he was a ‘staff favourite’ and received a lot of extra attention and treats.

Unfortunately, after a year in SPCA’s care Goliath developed several malignant tumours throughout his body. On a veterinarian’s recommendation, Goliath was euthanised.

With their specks of grey fur, a wobbly walk and a penchant for stubbornness, senior pets are oh-so-charming. Sadly, senior pets in a shelter environment are often overlooked in favour of puppies and kittens. Here we share seven reasons why you should consider adopting a senior pet.

Senior pets are older and wiser
While many people believe that older pets wind up in an animal shelter because of behaviour problems, most of the time it isn’t the fault of the animal at all.

Common reasons why adult or senior pets are given up include their owner has sadly passed away or moved overseas, the loss of a job, or a family member developing allergies. Well-trained and wellbehaved pets find themselves up for adoption all the time.

When you adopt a senior pet you may find yourself with a pretrained pet who already knows basic obedience. Senior pets are usually toilet-trained, for example. There may be the occasional accident as your pet adjusts to a new home, but most of the work has already been done.

Monday the 5th of November is often the scariest day of the year for pets, who can become distressed when they hear fireworks.

While most humans will enjoy the celebrations around Guy Fawkes, many pets unfortunately are traumatised by fireworks, says SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen. Each year SPCA receives dozens of calls relating to fireworks issues including: animal injuries, frightened animals, missing pets, and occasionally, abuse of animals.

“Many animals have acute hearing so loud bangs can really scare them. Fireworks can be terrifying to pets who become highly stressed by them,” Ms Midgen says.

“Unfortunately, Guy Fawkes can lead to animals running away and going missing, injuring themselves or becoming susceptible to traffic accidents. We urge pet owners to keep their pets inside and safe on Guy Fawkes night.”

Pets can be kept safe and happy with a bit of forward planning, Ms Midgen says: “Having a strategy for your animals during the Guy Fawkes period will help them tremendously. Making sure your pet has company, is kept inside, and has proper identification are just a few easy ways to ensure the safety and happiness of your pet.”

SPCA does not support the private sale and use of fireworks and has long called for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public. SPCA advises those planning to set off fireworks in their backyards to speak to their neighbours, or leave a note in their letterbox, so that those in the neighbourhood with pets can prepare accordingly.

Store-bought pet toys can be quite costly, but with a little time and some materials from around your home, you can make your own at a fraction of the price!
Making your own pet toys is a great way to keep both you and your children entertained: children will have fun getting creative, and your pets will appreciate playing with the end product.

With Christmas just around the corner its the perfect opportunity for you to get crafty! We’ve put together some easy-to-make toys that everyone in the family can get involved with.

Toys for dogs – plaited tug toys
Dogs and puppies love having something to play and chew on – just make sure that they don’t start eating bits of the toy!

You can make rope toys for dogs by tearing old, clean material into strips and plaiting them together. Follow the instructions below to make these toys – they’re super easy!