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Exercise and enrichment for dogs
Dogs need a secure and comfortable living environment with lots of enrichment; this may be indoors, indoors and outdoors, or outdoors (but we believe that dogs should be allowed inside as they are part of the family).
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Housing and Handling in RTT
SPCA supports continuous improvements in animal management practices and environments to ensure animals used in research, testing, and teaching have a “Good Life” where they experience positive welfare for the entirety of their life and their physical, health, and behavioural needs are met.
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Vaccinations for dogs
If you have a dog it’s important that you understand the vaccines available to them and how these protect your pet’s health.
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When pets give blood - How Aotearoa’s animal blood donations compare with the rest of the world
Most New Zealanders know about donating blood to help people. Far fewer realise that dogs, cats and other companion species can also donate blood and that these donations can be the difference between life and death for pets undergoing emergency treatment, major surgery or suffering from serious illness.
Around the world, countries have developed very different ways of sourcing this life-saving resource. Some rely on community volunteers, others on veterinary-based donor registers. New Zealand stands out for taking a very different approach.
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Litter training your rabbits
Litter training your indoors rabbits is a great way to make life easier for both you and your rabbits.
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The 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement
SPCA recognises the internationally accepted ethical principles for the replacement, reduction, or refinement for the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching (the “3 Rs”). While our organisation supports efforts to refine and reduce the use of animals in research and testing, SPCA is committed to and advocates for animals to be replaced in research, testing, and teaching by non-animal alternatives.
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Body Modifications
SPCA opposes all body modifications of companion animals carried out for non-therapeutic reasons.
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Responsible Animal Ownership
SPCA advocates that animals must only be kept as companions when a person has the knowledge, ability, and means to provide them with a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health and behavioural needs are met.
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Preparing for your new dog
Once you have decided that you are going to bring a dog into your life (after some research and careful thinking about whether a dog is right for you and how to look after a dog), it is important that you make some preparations before getting your dog/puppy.
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How to safely handle your cat
Cat respond best to gentle and respectful handling techniques.