'Fat' dogs scupper Marlborough woman's SPCA adoption

Monday, 13 May 2019

A Marlborough woman who offered to adopt an elderly, frail dog from the SPCA is surprised the process ended with a welfare order being issued against her other dogs.

Sue Sheat applied to adopt 15-year-old Buffy from the Marlborough branch, in Renwick, in March, and visited the bichon with her dogs Gus and Lucy.

But a few days later an SPCA inspector issued Sheat with a section 130 order 'to prevent or mitigate suffering' under the Animal Welfare Act, saying Lucy was overweight and Gus was 'obese'.

Lucy and Gus are already on a weight-loss programme, involving a diet and lots of walks.

The notice came as a shock to Sheat, who said she discussed Gus' weight with an SPCA officer when they first visited Buffy in Renwick, and the officer said he seemed healthy and active.

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'They had to both lose weight, or we risked getting them taken off us,' Sheat said.

'I know our dogs are fat but they are well-loved, go to the vets six-monthly and are walked, and fit and healthy.'

The notice ordered Sheat to take the dogs to the vet before April 10, follow any vet advice about weight loss and diet, and have them weighed by the vet every two weeks, or face prosecution.

Sheat's dogs already went to the vet regularly, as one of the dogs was on allergy medication, and they were already trying to help the dogs lose weight, Sheat said.

'Gus the 4-year-old had not put on weight in over a year and had actually lost 500 grams since his heaviest on July 2017,' she said.

'I emailed the inspector asking a few questions including asking why it had to be a formal process, and couldn't she just ask us to keep any eye on our dogs' weight, we would have done that.'

At the most recent weighing on May 4, Lucy had lost 1.1kg, and Gus lost 400g.

An SPCA spokeswoman said Gus was assessed as obese according to the Code of Welfare scoring system for dogs.

'The SPCA Inspector noted that the obese dog's ribs could not be felt, he had a fat pouch on his chest, and there was no weight loss since his last vet visit in 2018,' the spokeswoman said.

Canine obesity was the number one health concern in companion dogs worldwide, the spokeswoman said.

It could shorten a dog's life expectancy by 25 per cent, reduce their quality of life and put them at risk of health complications such as diabetes and heart disease, she said.

'It must be taken as seriously as a report of a seriously underweight dog.

'As canine obesity is so common, many people don't realise they are overfeeding their dog and may not be able to identify a healthy weight in their dog. A dog at an ideal weight should have a discernible waist and easily palpable ribs, with minimal fat.'

Gus and Lucy's weight was a factor in the decision to refuse Sheat's adoption application, the spokeswoman said.

Buffy had since been put on a trial adoption with another family, she said.

Sheat said she was shocked that her offer to help the elderly dog resulted in a penalty for 'our poor abused dogs'.

'It disturbs me that the SPCA gets donations to look after animals, and they continued to use money to look after Buffy when we would have done it for them.

'I would never adopt from the SPCA … The way that the SPCA has handled this has upset lots of people and the loser in all of this is Buffy.'