He told AM he called early to cancel a scheduled day of racing and focus on helping those affected by the floods.
“It’s certainly different than what we usually have here on race day,” he told AM on Monday morning.
The rescue hut was also a place full of emotions.
“We’re having a lot of reunions, which is emotional, I mean, that’s where the tears come from,” said Carolyn McKenzie, CEO of Huha (Helping You Help Animals New Zealand).
McKenzie said while rescue teams enjoy the special happy moments, it is devastating to see the animals come in traumatized.
“Families got helicopters and their pets were left behind,” she said.
She said they see people who have lost everything and when they find their pets, it’s huge.
“It’s emotional and it’s like nothing else matters because they got their pets back,” she said.
McKenzie said some animals were contaminated and injured, but she is grateful for the facility.
“We are so fortunate to have such an amazing facility,” McKenzie told AM.
She said that with the help of other pets, they were able to be rescued and taken to a shelter.
“The Massey University veterinary rescue team came in and plucked dogs from the roofs of houses that were directly flooded,” she said.
McKenzie said the animals emerged shocked and covered in silt, so decontamination washes are underway.
“We have vets here to examine them, they come in with bumps and bruises and eye problems,” she said.
Massey’s veterinary response team rescued six goldfish from a flood drain.
A kitten was also found under a house hit by the floods and is believed to be a stray so it may need a home in the near future.
McKenzie urges the families who own the animals to collect them before adopting them.
“They may have family out there, so if you’re watching, come and get them or they’ll be looking for a new home,” she told AM this morning.
She said that at the moment it is crucial to ensure all animals are microchipped to ensure the animals can be reunited if anything happens again.
Check out the animals at the shelter on Huha’s Facebook page.
Source: www.newshub.co.nz
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