Many of the dogs impounded in the shelter are not claimed or are no longer wanted by their owners. It is the policy of DSS Animal Management to rehome as many of these dogs as we can. We do not rehome aggressive dogs or dogs that do not pass the required temperament test.

Many of our dogs are adopted by organisations such as the NZ Police, MAF, Aviation Security, and Customs. These dogs go on to have very productive lives as working dogs and are much valued by their handlers. Organisations such as the Humane Society and some dog breed clubs also take many of the dogs available for adoption. These dogs are placed in foster care until a suitable home becomes available.

The public are able to adopt dogs from our shelters and we have some wonderful feedback stories featured below from our Manukau/Papakura Animal Shelter. Our staff contact as many of the new owners as we can to check up on how the dog has fitted in at its new home. We are so grateful to all these wonderful people who adopt from us and give these dogs a second chance at life and for the wonderful care that they give them.

From Blair – adopted Alice (French Bulldog) in June 2010

Hi Monique, Just a quick update on Alice - I'll send some pictures and a decent update in a little while.

I picked her up from the vets last Friday after her op. She was very groggy and beautiful. That night was a very quiet night and she slept in the car on the way home. She had a great sleep on her new bed the first night and is quite partial to the wood fire. On Saturday and Sunday she got much more active - even though I am trying to stop her running with the stitches. Yesterday morning she had her first walk down the beach on a lead and did great - she even had a couple of others dogs come and check her out and was fine. I cannot wait until next Monday when she has her stitches removed and can then really have a decent run around.

Anyway - thank you so much for getting Alice to us - we love her very much.

From Carol – adopted Roscoe (Jack Russell cross) in May 2010

Hi, Rosco has settled in really well and is now one of the family. He is very good with our 3 year old grandson who calls him "Rock So" and our 8 year old cat Fluffy is rubbing noses with him. He spends the day on the couch with a blanket but his favourite time of the day is walk time through the park close by. We are lucky to have found him at the shelter

From Biliana – adopted Max (Staffi) in May 2010

Hi,Thank you for your email. Max has settled in well although he is still full of energy - nothing unusual for a puppy. Thank you for your help with the adoption.

From Carl and Sandy – adopted Blitz (Labrador/Collie cross) in June 2010

Just thought I would introduce our new dog, Blitz. She is a Collie X with a Labrador and she is 7 months old. We bought her home on Wednesday from the Animal Shelter, after she had been speyed, micro chipped, registered and vet checked.

She must've come from a good home as she is very playful and cuddly and doesn't seem to have any issues. She is really happy in her crate, sleeps well at night, is eating well and slowly introducing her to Eukanuba instead of the dog rolls. She's a tad thin so am keen to get her in better condition and have wormed and deflea'd her and can't wait to bath her as she is 'dog' smelly but can't until she has had her stitches out which won't be until next week.

Carl & I went shopping at Animates last night to get her all the goodies as they were having a 'Mid Winter Christmas Special". Mmmm, yes well, a few dollars later but we did get her a kennel and bedding in that as she is going to be sleeping outside and also when we are out and about she can be comfy and dry and safe in the backyard.

She mustn't have been allowed inside before as she has been very ginger about coming thru doors. However we have overcome that now and she trots back and forth from where I work downstairs to outside and is getting better about coming in upstairs. So far she has only been in the dining room, with all dining suite shifted about as the floor is vinyl and just getting her used to small parts of the house at a time. Good thing is she doesn't come into the kitchen and also we're going to keep her out of the hallway as best as possible so it will keep the bedrooms safe (from her picking up shoes etc and wanting to have a munch!) and also too that she won't be at the front door for when we have visitors. Early days, but that is the plan.

From Harry – adopted Russel (Jack Russell) in May 2010

Hi Guys, Russel is really doing well. He lives with his mate Jack another (Old Jack Russel) and they both think that they are in charge, and that the world revolves around them personally. They dominate Dusky who is a young Ridgeback Labrador cross. We do have a bit of a problem with the older Jack Russel marking everything by peeing, especially when there is no one at home. Any way things are great and thanks for asking, and thanks for the good work you do in the community.

From Hayley – adopted Fergus (Yellow Labrador) in May 2010

His name is Fergus now...and my partner calls him Doofus! He is just soooo cool...he comes on rides with me and stays behind the horses fine. He is an absolute angel and just dotes on me. He qualified from puppy school and is quick to learn new tricks. He doesn't put a foot wrong....love him to bits! He's put on weight, loves Eukanuba and chicken frames....and the horses apples and carrots! Thanks for everything....he is the coolest!

From Cyndy – adopted Murphy (Sharpei cross) in June 2010 Just thought I’d let you know how puppy 358 is doing (we adopted him from you on Friday 25thJune). We named him Murphy and he and our older dog Molly are getting on brilliantly. They have so much fun playing together with tug of war being their favourite game. He has put on heaps of weight and is steadily growing. We are off the puppy school starting this week. Thank you so much for the wonderful addition to our family. Just wanted to thank you for helping me adopt Murph, it was problem free and straight forward and I really appreciate it.

From Rex – adopted Murphy (Husky) in March 2010

Just wanted to thank you for helping me adopt Murph, it was problem free and straight forward and I really appreciate it.

Murph has settled into our pack quite nicely, although he still has manners to learn when he’s inside. He’s already had a hiding from the cat and has learnt quite quickly not to mess with him. Our other dog TPOW is elderly but lets him know when he’s being too rough. It’s like he was meant to come to us!

I made the mistake of letting him loose while the gate was open and he made a dash for freedom. Luckily he responds well to me and didn’t lead me all over the neighbourhood. I think he loves me as I get licked from shoulders to eyebrows when I give him positive feedback. He’s very quiet for a Sibey and I hope he finds his voice soon. Maybe he wasn’t allowed to vocalize at his old home?

This dog was meant to be mine and I love him. I’ll take every possible caution to ensure he doesn’t end up at the pound and wait for his Mum to post bail!

From Henia and Grant – adopted Pearl/Girl (Dogue de Bordeaux) in March 2010

Hi, Here are some updated pictures of Pearl/Girl. We picked her up from you early march. You might not recognise her now. (Healthy and put on weight)

Hi there, we see you've already got the photo of Harry with us (the Shepherd X) on your page of Successful Adoptions. His names now Harry and he is the most energetic dog we have ever met He's still a little shy of tennis balls or fetching anything, but LOVES soft toys and slippers. He loves attention and comes up for cuddles all the time. We are very very happy with Harry; he’s been on lots of trips away with us to the beach, loves the water and plays friendly with all the other dogs.

Thanks very much for giving us Harry
Clare & Anthony

Hi Bronwyn and Alex

What an adventure! Mimi is eating like a horse, sleeping a lot and being very vocal. I took her to the vet and he thought she was in great condition. So many people have rung with their best wishes.

Bronwyn (and you too Alex) thanks so much for the time and energy you put in to catching this ratbag. Every time I rang you, you would follow up where she was sighted and I think we both knew on Thursday night that it was her people were describing. It's so unbelievable how much she travelled on Friday.

Anyway you have my deep respect in regards to your professionalism, caring and love of the dogs you look after. I

 would have no hesitation in acknowledging what an amazing team you have there in Franklin. What a profound experience.

And a beautiful outcome! With Love Amanda

Just a small note to pass on a huge "THANK YOU!!" to Janet who came out to our home on Monday regarding my application for a Dog Owners Licence. We were all very impressed by Janet''s professional, informative, friendly nature and our new puppy Tess just loved her! Thanks so much for all your terrific advice and spending the time with us. Its inspiring to meet someone who is passionate about their work, loves dogs, and excels in customer service.

Thanks and Cheers, Kathy & Chris.

A huge thank you to the fantastic staff at Franklin Animal Management, particularly Bronnie & Janet. Jasper (formerly known as Ace) has been with us a week and we are so thrilled to have him as part of our family.

Your advice on integrating him into his new home was invaluable.

Sian

I would just like to say that I recently reported an incident where myself and my daughter were chased by dogs while we were out riding our bikes. I am very impressed with the way my complaint was handled from start to finish. Janet was my point of contact and she was excellent, she kept me well informed through out the day as to what action had been taken and very informative as to what my rights were.

Thank you Janet, it is a pleasure to receive fabulous customer service so to speak.

Linda

"I am absolutely grateful with the way that my recent barking complaint was dealt with by a very professional young man. This officer was so amazing with his communication and customer skills that I just wanted to say thank you very much and well done."

Mrs S. of Howick

So a big pat on the back to ACO # 16 (Mike G)

Hello, we had some stray puppies at our place this morning and I just wanted to say that the guy (sorry, forgot his name!) who came to pick them up was a credit to your company.

He was polite, friendly and very helpful and very good when dealing with the dogs. He was from Animal Management officer number 20. He was a real pleasure to deal with, thank you very much.

Hopefully though, we won't need his services again! 
Richard

Thanks for your feedback Richard we are happy to say that Officer 20 is Brad and we have passed on your feedback. AM

Hi there,
Just to let you know, your Dog Control Officer (Manukau City), Ms. Nola responded to my complaint very professionally most recently.

I am grateful for what she has achieved for me, my family and our entire neighbourhood. She is very pleasant to deal with and I am most impressed with her follow up procedures.

You have a great asset in your team - Ms. Nola should be used as an example to all governmental offices employee.

Wishing her every success in life and to your Animal management Team - Well done and keep up the high standard of work!

Cheers,
Raja

Free Dog - Training Programme

My husband and I and our dog Hunter were very lucky to get a place in your Training Programme on Saturday. We are amazed at how much we all learnt from it. Hunter is only a puppy and can be very excitable around other dogs and other humans but after barking on arrival he settled down and became so comfortable around the other dogs that by the end of the session he was so relaxed that he almost dozed off. We put this down to the excellent way that you had organised the training session.

Every dog there seemed better at the end of the 2 hours than they had at the start and every owner seamed more relaxed and confident. The trainers oozed confidence around dogs and spent individual time with every dog and their owners offering them pertinent advice on any problems that' were having. We are full of enthusiasm to keep on with the training methods that we learnt. Thank you all very much for organising this programme; and I hope that a lot more Manukau dogs and their owners can benefit from this programme in the future.

Barbara, Lester and Hunter

I was working at the South Auckland Urgent Pharmacy last Sunday. While I was there I became concerned about a mother duck and about 8 ducklings outside the shop.I realised that they were not there to make an appointment with the doctors or get a prescription and became a bit concerned that they may try to cross the busy Great South Rd and could cause a nasty acccident to themselves and any motorist who slammed on the brakes to avoid them.

I rang the council and found that you were most helpful and contacted your animal management to see what they could do. As it turned out, they belonged to the residents at the back of the shop who had been out frantically looking for them.

I am sorry if the Animal management officer went on a wild goose chase ( or duck chase in this case). They (DSS animal management) sent me a feedback response in the mail which impressed me with the service offered even on a Sunday.

Perhaps they would be interested to know that the Duck and ducklings are now safe and sound,but thank them for their efforts.

John

Hi Love seeing all your successful dog adoption stories!

Lots of happy faces. Have you seen ours?

www.dogwatch.co.nz

Cheers
Charlie, Dogwatch, ChCh

DSS Animal Management’s Wellington team have received very positive feedback from Wellington City Council. Damian and Vicki gave a presentation to planners and enforcement officers about what to do when visiting sites that may have a dog on the property. As part of their presentation Animal Management’s Dog Do’s and Don’ts DVD – Adults At Risk – was shown to the group.

Comments as follows from Laura, Planning Manager and a member of the team.

“Damian and Vicki gave us a presentation this morning and the feedback from the team has been incredibly encouraging. My own view is that the presentation was relevant, helpful and interactive - Damian and Vicki did a fantastic job. This is supported by the email below from one of the team and various positive comments that I have received throughout the day.

I would recommend this presentation to other units in the Council where staff have to visit properties as part of their job”.

Thanks Laura

“Hello,
Thank you for organising the presentation at this morning’s meeting - super to get a good presentation on something so relevant - and within time of my 'dog incident'.

In my opinion it would be good to either get the DVD they showed us, or organise for new staff to meet with them for training as part of their induction to the team… just my opinion”

Thanks Erin

Note:
Adult Education: Giving adults who work out in the community strategies for dealing with situations that involve dogs is exactly what Animal Management’s Adults At Risk programme does. Aggressive dogs are a hazard and in order to minimise the risk to staff training needs to be given.

DSS Animal Management’s Team Leaders and Education Officers in Manukau, Franklin and Wellington are very happy to talk to adult groups who work out in the community to explain the appropriate strategies and how to deal with the many situations that arise with aggressive dogs. Refer to our ‘Contact ‘ page on this website to arrange these presentations.

Hi, I just wanted to thank you and your staff for excellent service in dealing with the barking dogs next door to me.

From memory my first call was in January after putting up with their non-stop barking for several months and never catching the owners at home to discuss it with them. Wayne arrived very quickly and gave me a call the next day to let me know that he had spoken to the owner and what advice he had to quiet them down. Sure enough they became pleasant dogs to live next door to for a couple of months.

Then the barking started up again, increasing over about a two month period to the point where I called approximately ten days ago when I was sleep-deprived and couldn't handle it any longer. Again the owners weren't home to address it with them. Damian arrived very quickly and put up with my wee rant about them and left me a voicemail message letting me know what was happening. I'm pleased that they have become quiet again.

As a shift worker I rely on getting sleep or naps during the day so I'm very thankful to dog control for the work in getting the dogs to be quiet.

Tania

Well done Wayne and Damian

Dear Vicki (and others who helped too)

Thank You for the special care you took of Zeus while he was waiting to be re-homed.

We really appreciate all the excellent advice and guidance as we made the decision to take him into our home.

He is now very much part of the family and as far as we can tell very happy!!!

Raewyn and Dave

Dear Julie and Peter

Thank you for your sincere kindness and help with the loss of our puppy Jazz.

You helped us get through this horrible time although we wish our boy was still here.

From
Natalie, Ian, Kyle and Caleb.

Dear Damian, (Team Leader Wellington)

I wish to write to you today regarding a visit I had by Sam to my home earlier today. I was delighted at her very pleasant manner and respect for my self and my family. I believe she was here to see if I had heard or seen any dogs in our area but it gave me an opportunity to be correctly educated about my dogs it was VERY MUCH APPRECIATED plus the information that I now understand after talking with Sam the do's and don'ts with dog ownership. It has been a very pleasant experience for me.

I did not realise that education to dog owners is part of what animal management do because I thought that they just take away your dogs. On a final note could you please do something nice for Sam because she went above the call of duty and deserves recognition. Because she has made me an even better Law abiding dog owner.

Thank you Sam.
Yours sincerely Tatiana

Recently my son was attacked by a dog in Wellington and we contacted DSS in Wellington. We were most impressed by their service and in particular the staff member who visited us.

Within minutes of our call we were contacted by Ioanna and she visited us the same day. She was extremely easy to talk to and did a wonderful job sorting out our complaint. I was so impressed with her manner and prompt response I felt the need to write an e-mail to your company.

Thank you again.

Sherry

Hi Julie,
The dog has recently been fairly good compared to previously. I can only assume that they have done something about it following your talks. Thank you very much for your help. I will keep a note on the barking and keep you informed of anything beyond the normal levels which were common place. You guys are doing a great job!
kind regards

Ben

Julie
I am acknowledging your wonderful service to the community. I firstly I have to commend you on your quick assistance to the horrific attack on that poor women on Saturday. You arrived on smart quick time, as I saw your van on the scene within 5 - 10 minutes of my phoning the police. You also showed wonderful people skills while investigating this enquiry with me, and made me feel at ease. I can say this to you, you have the most amazing skills that your service and qualities would enhance any business.

I hope this letter gets to your boss as it is people like you that make each day successful. Please keep bad dogs off our streets.

Many regards
Lyn

Successful Wellington Adoption

Thank you so much, it must have been meant to be, because Gus is fantastic! He has settled in just fine and seems totally comfortable here. He and our foxy are getting along just fine; they are a really good match. We have taken him for runs and down to the river and he is well behaved and happy - he looks more fit already! (I have him on a diet too, with sensitive stomach food and he hasn’t been sick so that's great too). We are taking him to our vet tomorrow just so they can meet.

We can’t believe that someone didn’t want him and we are in love with him already. My partner is a builder and we noticed today that Gus won’t go near him when he has his tool apron on, so he has obviously had a bad experience in that regard - as soon as the apron comes off he is fine.

But yes, I cant tell you enough how happy we are to have him - I have wanted a second dog for so long and he fits in here so perfectly its amazing really and he reminds me of my family beagle so much its uncanny. I’m in the process of buying a new camera, so I will send pictures to you as soon as I can.

Thank you again, we are so thankful Gus has ended up in our family.

Grey and Gus

Thank you and your team for their efforts in responding to our call re the dog using our property as a walkway through to other properties.

The look on your face when you saw the tracks through our property caused by the dog was priceless. The cage did its job and since that day we have not seen the dog on our property and the tracks are nearly all gone.

We appreciate your response to our call for help and can probably say that now there will be one less dog allowed to stroll the streets after the response from a very gracious owner when she found her dog.

Once again – thank you very much

Phil, Helen & Olivia

Our beloved 13 year old Bichon Amy got lost on Sunday 4th Nov and ended up as a "guest" at the pound.

We just want to say thank you for caring for her and for letting us collect her on a Sunday. She has four different meds daily and getting her home today was very important.

You were just great - we are so grafeful.

Many thanks,
Marilyn, Karen and of course Amy