ChCh Bull Breed Rescue saved by ‘someone who loves dogs’

Monday, 13 July 2026

Abbey van der Plas, founder of Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue, with Bruno, has found a new centre after their current space in Woolston was sold.

A dog rescue has found a new home after being given just months earlier this year to vacate its facility.

“It’s the biggest weight off my shoulders,” Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue founder Abbey van der Plas said.

She got the keys to the dog rescue’s new centre on Thursday following the assistance of a supporter who bought the old warehouse and property on Dyers Rd “specially for us to lease,” she said.

Wanting to remain anonymous, she said they were “just someone who loves dogs, has one of our dogs and loves what we do”.

“We were just blown away.”

Van der Plas founded Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue more than 16 years from her home, quickly outgrowing it and moving to the current location in Woolston.

The building had been empty “for years” she said, and though she had previously looked at it, the lease was out of her price range. The new owner’s lease is within budget.

The building the organisation leases in Woolston was sold in April, prompting the rescue’s 10 years at the site to come to an end on June 9 and forcing van der Plas to reach out to the community for help finding a new home.

She told The Press in April, “If we were to close, I hate to think what would happen to these dogs”.

A lot of work needs to go into fitting out the old warehouse to cater to dogs and volunteers, but with some community muscle it should be up and running by September.

The new owner of the Woolston site was a “genuinely nice guy,” she said, extending the lease until September 8.

Securing the Dyers Rd property happened “really really quickly … all in the last three weeks,” she said.

Tailoring the old warehouse and yard to the needs of the dogs and volunteers is the next big step, she said, requiring a “total fit-out” to build runs, fences, gates and replace bathrooms.

“We have until September to have this place up and running. It will be lot of work to get it up to scratch but with the community and supporters, we’ll get it done.”

A post on Facebook asking for toilets, hand basins, timber, gib, ply, insulation and shelving had prompted a positive response so far, and that’s what van der Plas loved about the community.

“We’re the shelter a community built. All we have to do is put a need out there and people help.”

“The universe was going to provide, and it bloody well did.”