Donations of pet food at the Hastings Racecourse where a temporary animal shelter has been set up, run by MPI, HUHA and the SPCA. Photo: Lauren Crimp
Pet cages, food, toys and blankets cover the area where punters would usually have a drink and make their bets.
The Hastings Racecourse lounge has become a temporary shelter for animals rescued from flooding in the region, or whose owners do not have a place for them right now.
The halfway home is a joint effort by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the SPCA, and HUHA (Helping You Help Animals).
On Friday it housed 12 dogs, five cats, two chickens, and some goldfish that had been rescued from a gutter.
As RNZ walked in, a tearful couple was reunited with their dog.
They had been rescued from their rooftop by helicopter and were heartbroken to leave her behind, but found she was safe and sheltering here.
She was shaky with her tail between her legs, and sticking close to her best friends' side.
On Friday the temporary shelter housed 12 dogs, five cats, two chickens, and some goldfish that had been rescued from a gutter. Photo: Lauren Crimp
HUHA chief executive Carolyn Press-McKenzie said rescues are ongoing, so the number of guests continues to grow.
"It's quite an emotional place at the moment," Press-McKenzie said.
"People are coming in, they need food, or they need support, or they need their animals to be somewhere.
"Or, they're reuniting with their animals, that's where the happy tears come."
The shelter was inundated with offers of help and donations of food, blankets and cages.
Some would be used for the animals sheltering, and some would be delivered to where they are needed in the community.
Two vets were assessing animals and providing care, and a mobile groomer was bathing animals to cleanse them from toxic flood water and silt.
Many donations have been received. Photo: Lauren Crimp
Press-Mackenzie said some animals were traumatised from what they had been through - as were owners who had been separated from them.
"They are smothered in mud, and they have been collected off the roof of a house, and they are looking so vulnerable, wounds, and looking tragic, clearly in shock.
"We sort of care for them and give them everything we can, and then to have the owner walk in the door and have that spark go back in the animal, it's just really special."
Press-Mackenzie said they would start listing animals that had not yet been reunited with their owners on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register.
