In South Auckland, where dumped litters and roaming dogs have become a public safety concern, local residents are stepping in to provide support where they say the authorities have fallen short.
The community campaign, which includes over 100 families, is offering free desexing, food, and care to protect both pets and people.
The initiative is led by Rawiri Community House and the Saving Hope Foundation. Organisers say the high demand reflects the urgent need for support.
“We’ve got just over 100 applications,” Liz Kiriona said. “All we ask is for patience, but it will happen.”
The most recent free desexing event at Wiri Community Hall attracted a steady stream of families seeking support for their pets and a chance to break the cycle of uncontrolled breeding.
The hall was filled with free blankets, food, treats and toys. But organisers say the real impact lies in building trust and removing barriers.
“This isn’t just a dog problem. It’s a community problem,” Jo Coulam, a volunteer with the Saving Hope Foundation, told the crowd. “Kids can’t walk to school or play at the park anymore because of roaming dogs.”
Coulam shared heart-wrenching stories about two recent litters: one found in a rubbish bin in Weymouth, and another abandoned in public toilets. Tragically, a third litter had a puppy that died just the day before.
“In the last month alone, we’ve been asked to take in 11 litters, and three more were born yesterday,” Coulam said.
“What’s happening now is going to be so much worse in six or twelve months. If they’re born, their lives matter. But it’s better they’re not born at all.”
She warns of a potential rise in pyometra, a painful and often fatal uterine infection caused by repeated breeding. “One mama died a horrible death. Another fell apart after surgery. If we get them desexed early, at six months, we can stop this.”
Her advice for dog owners is straightforward, “If you want a good guard dog, cut his nuts off. With his balls, all he’s thinking about is finding a bitch on heat. He won’t stay and guard your home”.
Community-led, not council-led
Kiriona, who also manages Rawiri Community House, organised the event with Coulam and says events like these remove major barriers for struggling families. The desexing services include free pick-up and drop-off, aftercare packs, and do not require microchipping or registration.
“There’s a lot of pregnant mamas [dogs] out there, and the families struggle to look after them,” she said. “Just because your dog is not registered or not chipped doesn’t mean we can’t help.”
She credits community trust, not top-down services, as the key to success.
“Events like this need to be community-run, community-led. Not SPCA, not government agencies. A lot of whānau trust the community more than other organisations.”
Kiriona criticised past SPCA voucher schemes as ineffective. “People were given vouchers that expired, or they couldn’t get where they needed to go. Those should’ve gone to community groups. We would’ve made it work.”
Kāinga Ora supported the event, reminding tenants that dogs are not permitted in complexes or small yards without sufficient space. They also encouraged unregistered dog owners to take advantage of the free desexing offer as a step towards responsible pet ownership and meeting tenancy conditions.
“Rawiri’s been going for over 15 years. It’s all based on trust,” Kiriona said. “It’s taken us many years to earn the trust of the community. We made sure people knew we’ve got their backs.”
Council support and limitations
Matt Winiata, chair of the Manurewa Local Board, says the council alone cannot solve the roaming dog crisis. He adds that many residents want to be responsible pet owners but lack the means.
“We do need the community to buy in. Working with champions like Liz and Jo is helping us deal directly with the problem, not just reacting by picking up dogs.
“There’s often suspicion when authorities ask for details. But people trust Liz and Jo because they know their hearts. We need to walk hand in hand with the community. It’s not about a dictatorship from council telling people what to do.”
Manurewa is one of the areas worst affected by roaming dogs. While the council has partnered with the SPCA in other areas, Winiata acknowledges that those efforts have not always reached the families who need help the most.
“Council is hamstrung by red tape and bureaucracy. It hasn’t funded events like this, but Liz and Jo have stepped up, and they’re getting results,” he said.
He urges councillors to support grassroots initiatives.
Dog owners grateful for the help
Pat, a local resident who did not want to give her surname, arrived after rescuing her cousin’s dog and her fourth litter of puppies from being abandoned.
She now cares for eight dogs and believes the event was a lifeline.
“I said, give her to me. I didn’t want them on the street. But I didn’t realise how hard it would be. It’s financially, mentally and emotionally draining.
“There’s a lot of help out there. You’ve just got to find it. If you love your dog, show up for them.”
Delia, who also did not want her last name published, learned about the event through a community page. She has not signed up for desexing her three-month-old puppy yet because it is still too young. On the provided free dog items and supplies, she said, “they bring things people can’t always afford”.
Rita Hunt, who owns 14 cats, came to collect supplies for her neighbour’s dog. “It’s expensive now. Food, worming, desexing. This kind of support? You can’t find it anywhere.”
Kylie, a nearby resident who didn’t want to give her surname, says the problem of roaming dogs is getting worse. “We see strays all the time. Some people don’t know how to care for a dog. They’ve just been given one. That’s why these events are so important.”
Sandy Jacobs says events like this help break down shame and build awareness. “A lot of people can’t afford what they need for their dogs. And a lot are shy to come to places like this. But our people need to know how to love and care for animals, just like they would themselves.”
For some dog owners, even free services aren’t enough to bridge the gap. John, who also did not want to give his surname, turned up after hearing about the event from his partner, said he has three unregistered and undesexed dogs, and no spare cash to change that.
“It’s pretty expensive to feed them, eh. The government’s made it harder for everyone, I think. It’s good you’ve got communities like this to help people struggling at the moment.”
When offered help to microchip, register and desex his dogs, John hesitated. “Oh yeah, but does that mean I’ll have to pay some money? I’m broke,” he said. “I’m not interested in paying any money, to be honest.”
Ongoing costs like registration were a barrier. “If it was maybe a one-off cost, yeah… but the SPCA comes and asks for money all the time.”
Next steps
Coulam says the strong turnout highlights the need for ongoing community events to engage pet owners, raise awareness about responsible care, and connect them with available support to tackle the issue of roaming dogs.
“We’ve seen people here today whom we’ve never met before. That means it’s working. These are good dog owners. They just didn’t know where to turn.”
Her message to dog owners is simple, “Just show up. Talk to us. We’re not here to judge. We’re here to help”.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
