{"title":"Characteristics and challenges of companion animal rescue organisations in New Zealand.","authors":"C Roseveare, M C Gates","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2024.2344560","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To describe the characteristics of companion animal rescue organisations (CARO) in New Zealand; to describe current capacity, resource limitations and challenges of CARO with a particular focus on cats and dogs; and to explore support for creating a national database of CARO in New Zealand.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was administered to CARO in New Zealand in May 2022. The survey asked about organisational characteristics, types and numbers of animals cared for, services provided, policies, staffing, funding sources, challenges, and attitudes towards a national database for rescue organisations. Descriptive statistics were provided for all quantitative study variables and free-text comments were analysed for common themes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The survey was completed by 106/208 (51%) known CARO distributed across the country. These CARO provided services to an estimated 59,874 homeless animals annually with 86/106 (81%) providing services to cats and/or dogs. Primary services provided by CARO who cared for cats or dogs included rehoming (72/86; 84%) and housing (70/86; 81%) animals. Intake was managed through a combination of strategies. Donations (72/86; 82%) were the main funding source. The 62 registered charities were more likely to report being funded by grants than the 23 non-charities (39/62 (63%) <i>vs</i>. 1/23 (4%); p < 0.001), and non-charities were more likely to self-fund (18/23 (78%) <i>vs.</i> 20/62 (32%); p < 0.001). Nearly half of the CARO that provided workforce information (35/72; 49%) had a workforce of 10 or fewer including volunteers. A total of 5,699 people worked for 86 CARO that care for cats or dogs of whom 4,847 (85%) were part-time volunteers. Of the 72 cat and dog CARO who provided workforce information, 57/72 (79%) relied solely on volunteers.The majority of all 106 CARO respondents (78/106; 73%) indicated they were likely to register on a national database of CARO, subject to addressing concerns about time required and information security.CARO respondents described challenges of insufficient funding, access to veterinary services, and a shortage of volunteers and foster homes, with additional concerns including a lack of public awareness, supportive legislation, and resources. Financial support (90/106; 85%) and policy change (76/106; 72%) were preferred support options.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the significant role played by CARO in New Zealand and the challenges they face, emphasising the need for financial support, legislation, and initiatives extending beyond the rescue sector to reduce the number of animals being surrendered. The findings also suggest a willingness among CARO to participate in a national database.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"New Zealand veterinary journal","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2024.2344560","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/5/8 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"VETERINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aims: To describe the characteristics of companion animal rescue organisations (CARO) in New Zealand; to describe current capacity, resource limitations and challenges of CARO with a particular focus on cats and dogs; and to explore support for creating a national database of CARO in New Zealand.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to CARO in New Zealand in May 2022. The survey asked about organisational characteristics, types and numbers of animals cared for, services provided, policies, staffing, funding sources, challenges, and attitudes towards a national database for rescue organisations. Descriptive statistics were provided for all quantitative study variables and free-text comments were analysed for common themes.
Results: The survey was completed by 106/208 (51%) known CARO distributed across the country. These CARO provided services to an estimated 59,874 homeless animals annually with 86/106 (81%) providing services to cats and/or dogs. Primary services provided by CARO who cared for cats or dogs included rehoming (72/86; 84%) and housing (70/86; 81%) animals. Intake was managed through a combination of strategies. Donations (72/86; 82%) were the main funding source. The 62 registered charities were more likely to report being funded by grants than the 23 non-charities (39/62 (63%) vs. 1/23 (4%); p < 0.001), and non-charities were more likely to self-fund (18/23 (78%) vs. 20/62 (32%); p < 0.001). Nearly half of the CARO that provided workforce information (35/72; 49%) had a workforce of 10 or fewer including volunteers. A total of 5,699 people worked for 86 CARO that care for cats or dogs of whom 4,847 (85%) were part-time volunteers. Of the 72 cat and dog CARO who provided workforce information, 57/72 (79%) relied solely on volunteers.The majority of all 106 CARO respondents (78/106; 73%) indicated they were likely to register on a national database of CARO, subject to addressing concerns about time required and information security.CARO respondents described challenges of insufficient funding, access to veterinary services, and a shortage of volunteers and foster homes, with additional concerns including a lack of public awareness, supportive legislation, and resources. Financial support (90/106; 85%) and policy change (76/106; 72%) were preferred support options.
Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role played by CARO in New Zealand and the challenges they face, emphasising the need for financial support, legislation, and initiatives extending beyond the rescue sector to reduce the number of animals being surrendered. The findings also suggest a willingness among CARO to participate in a national database.
目的:描述新西兰伴侣动物救助组织(CARO)的特点;描述CARO当前的能力、资源限制和挑战,尤其关注猫和狗;探讨对建立新西兰全国CARO数据库的支持:2022 年 5 月,我们对新西兰的 CARO 进行了一次横向调查。调查内容包括组织特征、所照顾动物的类型和数量、所提供的服务、政策、人员配备、资金来源、面临的挑战以及对建立国家救助组织数据库的态度。对所有定量研究变量进行了描述性统计,并对自由文本评论进行了分析,以寻找共同主题:分布在全国各地的 106/208 家(51%)已知 CARO 完成了调查。这些 CARO 每年为约 59,874 只无家可归的动物提供服务,其中 86/106 家(81%)为猫和/或狗提供服务。照料猫或狗的 CARO 提供的主要服务包括领养(72/86;84%)和收容(70/86;81%)动物。接收工作通过多种策略进行管理。捐赠(72/86;82%)是主要的资金来源。与 23 家非慈善机构相比,62 家注册慈善机构更有可能通过捐赠获得资金(39/62 (63%) vs. 1/23 (4%);p vs. 20/62 (32%);p 结论:本研究强调了 CARO 在新西兰所发挥的重要作用以及它们所面临的挑战,强调需要财政支持、立法以及超越救助部门的举措,以减少动物被遗弃的数量。研究结果还表明,CARO 愿意参与国家数据库的建设。
期刊介绍:
The New Zealand Veterinary Journal (NZVJ) is an international journal publishing high quality peer-reviewed articles covering all aspects of veterinary science, including clinical practice, animal welfare and animal health.
The NZVJ publishes original research findings, clinical communications (including novel case reports and case series), rapid communications, correspondence and review articles, originating from New Zealand and internationally.
Topics should be relevant to, but not limited to, New Zealand veterinary and animal science communities, and include the disciplines of infectious disease, medicine, surgery and the health, management and welfare of production and companion animals, horses and New Zealand wildlife.
All submissions are expected to meet the highest ethical and welfare standards, as detailed in the Journal’s instructions for authors.