DOC staff are investigating after a litter of seven puppies was found dumped in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki earlier this month.
The puppies, estimated to be about six weeks old at the time, were discovered by a member of the public on Monday 10 August.
Aside from the disregard for the puppies' welfare, releasing pets or other animals on to conservation land is an offence under the Conservation Act and the National Parks Act. DOC can issue an infringement notice or prosecute anyone found responsible for bringing a domestic pet into national park or conservation land.
DOC Ranger Cameron Hunt says the man who found the puppies was heading up Manaia Rd to the maunga to enjoy a recent snowfall when he spotted something black and white moving in the roadside vegetation.
"At first glance, he thought it was a puppy but carried on driving. He then turned around and headed back to confirm his suspicions – and discovered the litter of seven puppies," Cameron says.
The puppies – thought to be a collie-working dog cross breed - were handed over to the SPCA, where they were vet checked, vaccinated and treated for worms. SPCA staff say the puppies were in extremely good body condition and had been well fed prior to being found. Thankfully they were found as they would not have survived the night in the freezing snowy conditions of the national park. The puppies will eventually be made available for rehoming.
"Someone made a deliberate decision and effort to abandon these puppies in the national park, and to do so would've required some sort of vehicle making a brief stop on the roadside", Cameron says.
"We're hopeful anyone who saw what happened will contact us and share any information such as the make, model and colour of a vehicle – and better still a registration plate – or possibly descriptions of people they saw."
Cameron is urging anyone who knows about the dumping of the puppies to contact 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE-Works number CLE-9642. Any information passed on will be treated confidentially.
Earlier this month, DOC publicised the case of a Northland woman who flagrantly breached the "no pets" rules and photographed herself with her six dogs in Tongariro National Park. One of the photographs showed the woman and one of her dogs in front of a "no dogs" sign.
In August 2022, DOC visitor centre staff encountered visitors carrying jacket-wearing cats in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, and in December 2023 a man was pictured with a domestic pet cat in the national park.
Keeping pets like cats, rabbits, ferrets, and others out of protected spaces, is essential to protect our endangered species and our pets are safe. Domestic pets can spread diseases our wildlife has not been exposed to and cannot be protected from. These can devastate our taonga and the ecosystems they depend on. Dogs, in particular, pose a serious threat to kiwi and whio, both of which are found in Te Papakura-o-Taranaki.
New Zealand's native species are unique and special. On average, 70% of our nature is unique to the rest of the world (72% of our birds, 84% of our plants, 88% of our fishes and 100% of our reptiles are only found here).
More than 4,000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction – that is more than any other country.
