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Our lovely long stays looking for their forever home

11 August 2023

Thousands of animals are brought into our SPCA Centres every year, and while many are successful and finding their forever home in either weeks or days, some of our animals are left waiting for months, and sometimes, even years.

Our lovely long stays looking for their forever home

Our long stay animals are well cared for by our Centre teams and our incredible network of fosters, who welcome our long stay animals into their homes, so they continue to be socialised and spend time in a home environment. Here are 13 of these animals we’d love help getting into their forever homes.

Mum Bun (Flemish X)

Nelson - in our care for 19 months

Mum Bun is a favourite among the staff and volunteers at SPCA’s Nelson Centre. She is incredibly laid back, easy going, sweet and friendly. She is suspected of being a Flemish X, being a beautiful bigger bunny.

The name Mum Bun stuck as she came into the Centre back in Nov 2021 with five gorgeous babies, all of which have been adopted. We want nothing more than for this gorgeous girl to go to a home where she will be spoiled rotten. She is a fragile girl with a few ongoing health concerns due to malnourishment and poor diet in her previous life,but is otherwise a very happy girl who loves her food.

Mum Bun SPCA Nelson

Ginny (Flemish X)

Nelson - in our care for 19 months

Ginny is an absolutely gorgeous, but occasionally sassy, girl. She came into the Centre at the same time as Mum Bun from the same property back in November 2021. She also has some ongoing heath concerns due to malnourishment and a poor diet. Thankfully, she has been doing really well at the Centre.

Her personality keeps the staff entertained. She is a very sweet and loving girl but isn’t afraid to let you know when she’s not happy with you. She loves her grass and is a fan of digging if she gets the chance. These girls both deserve the absolute world after the rough start they had in life and both staff and volunteers can’t wait for the day that their perfect adopters walk through the door.

Ginny SPCA Nelson

Mayce (Mixed breed)

Christchurch - in our care for one year and two months

Meet Mayce who will promise to steal your heart with her goofy and lovable personality. At first, Mayce might seem a bit shy, but she’s really just taking her time to build confidence and get to know you. Once she trusts you, you'll see that her heart is as big as her stature. She might not be the best fit for a home with small children as she’s a big girl, might accidentally knock them over when trying to give hugs.
But don't let that discourage you, because she’s overflowing with love, and once you both bond, there will be plenty of cuddles and laughs. While she may be a bit cautious around strangers initially, she warms up quickly after a friendly sniff or two.

Mayce is good on the lead most of the time, but she will need someone strong and patient to help with her leash manners. On the rare occasion that she gets a bit excited and pulls, you might find yourself soaring like a dove, so it's best if her new companion can handle her exuberance. She’s also getting the hang of socialising with other dogs,but could use some guidance in that area.

If you have experience in helping a big girl like Mayce navigate the world and learn some social skills, you’ll make an amazing team.

Mayce SPCA Christchurch

Lucy (Black and white)

Taupo - in our care for six months

Lucy is a little quiet and shy towards new people. But once she feels comfortable, she will request cuddles and pats. She would love to join a family who has a quiet and serene household.Lucy would be best suited to an adult-only home where she can build a close bond with her favourite humans. She’s had quite a tough time in life, and just needs a hero who can show her a happy and settled home. Could that be you?

Don’t be concerned if Lucy tends to hide, that's only so she can feel safe, and we’re confident he will build up his personality in time.

Lucy SPCA Taupo

Kai (Mixed breed)

Masterton - in our care for six months

Kai is two-years and six-months-old. Under our care, Kai has become an amazing dog. He is very loyal, and our team can walk him from his room to the yard without a lead because he stays right by their side. He knows how to sit and walks wonderfully well on a lead. He is our go to mixer because he's got such great social manners and makes friends with a lot of other SPCA dogs and puppies.

The only consideration with Kai is that he is not suited to a home with small animals. Kai is a people pleaser and loves treats, so training should be a lot of fun. He can be a bit jumpy when excited, but all he wants is love and attention, and he really enjoys a good cuddle. Ideally, we want someone who is committed and has some experience with dogs to take him in. He has already been through so much, we want his next home to be a success.

Kai SPCA Masterton

Lativa (Mixed breed)

Whanganui - in our care for six months

Our darling Lativa has been up for adoption since December 2022.Our teams describe her as a real goofball and love her to pieces. If any dog deserves a loving forever home, it’s Lativa. She comes with a few quirks, but nothing a dedicated doggie person couldn’t overcome.

Latvia is an absolute snuggle bug and loves a belly rub, but she also has loads of energy, so she needs a family that is happy to take her on plenty of walks and adventures. She would benefit from lots of ongoing training in her new home - and has shown to be very happy to learn, and eager to please while in the Centre. Lativa would thrive in a home where she can be around dogs who are happy to share the spotlight with her.

We’ve found that she’s most comfortable and at ease when her doggie pals are gentle, relaxed, and allow her to take the lead during playtime and interactions. So if you already have a relaxed dog or are looking to bring home a new furry friend who fits this description, you might have just found the perfect match.

Lavita SPCA Whanganui

BB (Mixed breed)

Gisborne - in our care for six months

Allow us to introduce BB, otherwise known as Big Boy, a handsome six-year-old who is currently looking for his forever family.

BB is an incredibly sensitive boy who has the incredible ability to read his people's energy. He thrives in a calm and consistent environment with a routine that he can rely on. He would absolutely love to have another dog as a companion, so if you’ve got a dog who you’d think would like him, we can always arrange a meet and greet.

For BB's overall well-being, he will need at least one good walk a day to explore the world around him. However, if you have a spacious yard filled with enriching activities and another dog to keep him company, he won't mind if you're away at work during the day. It's important to note that BB can be a bit bolshy, so he is best suited to a home with older children who can understand and respect his boundaries.BB is patiently waiting for that special family who will provide him with the love and care he deserves.

BB SPCA Gisborne

Winry (Angora)

Greymouth - in our care for eight months

Although Winry is very pretty, she will need an experienced owner, as she has a long winter Angora coat that needs daily brushing,

She will need to be kept indoors for a majority of the time to keep her looking this good, but she loves to go outside on sunny days to express her natural habits.Winry is still quite shy and is still learning that humans are kind, so she will need a quiet home with someone willing to take their time and have plenty of patience. Once she gets to know you, she will become very content and love to sniff around your feet.If you think you have the right home for Winry’s pretty face, please apply online and one of the team will be in touch to arrange a meet and greet.

Winry SPCA Greymouth

Lola (Mixed breed)

Greymouth - in our care for one year and five months

Lola is full of energetic beans, sure to keep you in shape and loves taking her human for walks. Once she’s settled into her forever home, she will give you boundless love and affection sure to melt any heart out there. She is still fairly young so will need an experienced owner who can continue her training. She would be best suited to a home with no cats as she’s a little too interested in them for her own good!

If you think you might have the right home for Lola then please apply online and one of the team will be in touch to arrange a meet and greet.

Lola Greymouth

Nacho and Fleur (Mixed breed)

Tauranga - in our care for one year and five months

Nacho and his four siblings came to SPCA after they were found lost and all alone. Nacho is such a lovely little man. He loves to have cuddles and play with his siblings. Nacho loves to play with toys and is happy to play by himself or with a friend. Nacho would suit most family environments and would be fine with other dogs and children.

Nacho is still a puppy, and we would highly recommend you attend puppy training classes to help him learn his big boy manners. We would also encourage daily walks to help burn off some puppy energy. Fleur is also from the same litter. She loves to cuddle up and have a snuggle, but also loves to play. She loves toys and loves to chase. Fleur is quite confident, and is often found lounging on top of her kennel so a tall fence is a must, to avoid her escaping. Fleur is still a puppy, so puppy training classes are encouraged. She would also benefit from a walk daily to help burn off some puppy energy.

Bryn (Mixed breed)

Rotorua - in our care for one year and two months

Meet Bryn - a loving, sweet-natured dog who has got a big heart. Bryn has grown up in SPCA's care and cannot wait to experience the big wide world with his forever family. Bryn is in his "teenage time" and is all legs and lanky-ness, being a large-breed dog. Bryn is incredibly energetic and loves to play with his friends. He is also a huge fan of toys, playing fetch and tug-o-war. Above all, Bryn really loves having quality time with people and is a huge softy.

As Bryn has been with us so long he can be a bit timid meeting new people but when he is comfortable and when the excitement calms down, you'll find Bryn is a sucker for cuddles, belly scratches and melts under any kind of affection. He has a joyful, goofy smile and a loving nature that lightens everyone's moods. Bryn knows how to sit and is well-behaved walking on a lead and harness. He is a HUGE foodie and will be a joy to train, and will need an experienced owner to continue his learning.

Because of his large size, Bryn will need a home with a fully fenced section to keep him safe. Bryn gets on well with most dogs, but would not be suitable with cats or other small animals. We would need to do a meet and greet with any existing dogs applicants have.

Bryn SPCA Rotorua

Nellie (Mixed breed)

Hamilton - in our care for one year and five months

Nellie was not given the care that she deserved and was found wondering about, feeling very sorry for herself with red raw skin due to mange. After lots of medicated baths and looking at her sweet face now, you would never have known the pain she had gone through. She has been lucky enough to go for a short stint out to foster. Nellie's foster mum told SPCA she is a very adventurous, confident, athletic and fun-loving girl.

A highlight of Nellie's stay has been watching her hurtle through long grass to try and catch their own speedy dog, only to be flipped over into swampy mud - which she loved. She is still learning about boundaries and the outside world but does have good house manners and toilet training. She is a snuggly girl who loves a sleep in. Nellie will need consistent training to ensure that she knows her place in the family pecking order. Due to her still learning how to be a good girl, we feel that Nellie would be best suited to an experienced dog home with teenage children who know how to keep a dog on the straight and narrow.

Nellie has shown that she has a bit of prey drive, so would not be suitable for a home with cats. If you think Nellie is the girl for you, please enquire about her today with as much information as possible.

Nellia SPCA Hamilton
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