From Rescued to Rehomed: Mini and Mo's story

Rescued from a property by our Inspectorate along with a number of other dogs, Mini and Mo had their first taste of SPCA care at our Napier Centre. After their first week receiving initial vet checks, they were moved to our Hastings Centre to continue their recovery.

While both Mini (white) and Mo (grey) had some physical issues that required treatment, our team could tell it was their extremely anxious behaviour that would be the true barrier to their rehabilitation.

Six weeks later, after very slow progress, the bonded pair were transferred down to Wellington, where they would have more space and a greater chance of adoption when the time came.

“They were both so timid when we first met them, absolutely petrified of humans, and didn’t like being handled at all,” says Sam, Canine Animal Attendant at our Wellington Centre.

“They’d hide in the corner of their room or the yard, and run away from anyone that tried to approach. Even with treats and a slow approach, they were too scared to interact. It was heartbreaking.”

Despite their nervousness, they found comfort in each other’s company – we could tell they had a strong bond, and that they would need to stay together to ease their anxiety.

A challenge for the team arose when trying to treat their ear infections.

“Administering the medication was a real struggle with their nerves, and while we were still building their trust, this did set back their progress a little,” says Sam. “But once their ears were better, they slowly started building relationships with a select few staff members.”

Their steady progress was extremely rewarding for our team to see. Once they began to come out of their shells, Mini found her voice, and Mo started to show off her excited spins and twirls!

While many dogs that come into our care often spend time in foster homes, the team decided that Mini and Mo were making too much progress in the Centre. They didn’t want to risk undoing that, by changing their environment before they were ready.

Working hard on behavioural training and socialisation, our team were proud to have these two ready for adoption together!

They couldn’t go to just any home – they needed to find a forever family without kids (which they found too scary), without cats (too exciting), and where they would have plenty of time to adjust.

“Luckily, after about a month of waiting to be adopted, they found a patient home with Shanon and Alicia, and it was the absolute perfect match for them,” says Sam.

Shanon and Alicia helped the pair settle in to their new home.

“Mini immediately spent a long time exploring everywhere outside the house, while Mo was a bit more nervous, and found a spot near the hedge on the side of the deck to feel safe,” Shanon said.

While Mo was more timid, having Mini to watch and learn from helped her become more confident.

“Although Mo is quite low key, she will get really excited when I bring her food, and she does little spins. Mini really likes to explore and run around outside a lot and play.”

The two began to make progress with every passing day.

A year on, Mini and Mo are completely different to the dogs that first came into our Centre.

“At night, they snuggle up on the couch with us, or sit in bed,” Shanon says.

“Mini is still the inquisitive one, and she started going on walks with me.When we first started putting the harness on her, she would completely freeze and be scared stiff.But after many weeks of trying it out and giving her treats, she was able to start moving her feet bit by bit, until we could walk outside a little. Now she goes for long walks and sniffs everything.”

Though Mo is still a bit more reserved than Mini, she’s managed trips to the beach and still loves to be around her best friend.

“Mo still gets scared by noises, but she also gets very happy and excited by food and other things, and will spin around with joy (always clockwise) and bounce around like a lamb. Her favourite things are sleeping on the bed, mealtimes, and licking hands. She’s very caring. She never makes a sound, except on the rare occasion when she’s so excited to wake up and go outside in the morning that she does a big involuntary woof! Her voice is surprisingly deep.”

“They love each other a lot, and always hang out together. We’re so glad to have them in our family. Big thanks to SPCA for rescuing them and protecting them!” says Shanon and Alicia.

Our Wellington Canine team were thrilled to hear these updates, after spending so much time helping Mini and Mo come out of their shells.