For The Love Of “Marty”

Marty was “discarded” when he was just a couple of weeks old.  The Martin family from Wellington found him when they were on their Christmas holiday.  He was just a little black “slug” abandoned on the verge of an urban road.  No one else seemed to know or care about him. The Martin’s very easily could have continued packing their bags into their car and gone on to their next destination.  What stopped them??
Quite simply, they loved him. 

They cared for him all through the night and then went out of their way to take him to the SPCA. Bad news met them… The SPCA was over flowing with puppies and dogs, there were far more coming in than could be rehomed.  Euthanasing Marty was probable.

But the Martin’s loved their little black nondescript puppy as if he was one of their own family.  Not giving up on him, they paid his adoption fee so that when he was old enough, the SPCA could make him free to a good home.

Marty went to a foster home for cats because all of the puppy homes were full.  He quickly stole the hearts of his foster family.  Betsy, his foster Mum later wrote this about him:

We took Marty for his vaccination, he was such a hit at the vets, and they fell in love with him (of course). Shirley treated him and wrote in his vaccination book ‘beautiful’. He weighed in at 5.1kgs, pretty good aye!  (He was 800gm when he first arrived!)
Ray finished making a kennel for him (it’s more like a house) so he now sleeps out with the working girls and thinks he is all grown up. He now knows ‘Good Boy’ ‘Out’ ‘Come’ ‘Marty’ and is just starting to sit on demand, pretty clever isn’t he? He loves Ray to bits and keeps him amused whilst pottering in the workshop. We can’t sweep anywhere without him riding the broom (he thinks it’s one of his jobs now) when he finishes helping us sweep up he drags the broom around the workshop and puts it away. His favourite job is moving stock; he’s the supervisor, as soon as we head to the Gator (ride-on) he’s there looking up waiting for his servants to pick him up. The other thing he has learnt is where Jess’ and Jet’s biscuits are kept, if he’s been a real good boy he goes and sits by the bins and waits for a treat. Each afternoon he’s been having a nice cool bath in the workshop sink, then we have a towel fight! Or tug of war! All good fun.

In February Marty was old enough to go to a real home…if someone would choose him.  There were so many other cute puppies on offer.  Mark and Cathie came in to see them all.  They wanted to choose one for a Valentine’s present to each other.  The couple-in-love fell in love with Marty.  Mark wrote to us:

“Marty was a Valentine’s gift from both of us to each other.  Cathie saw the ad for Valentine’s day-SPCA in the paper, and it went from there.  It has been a year since our lovely dog Darbie died and we were finally ready for a new doggy in the Whanau.  Cathie said as soon as she saw Marty she knew he was the one for us, but didn’t say anything until I said “what about the black puppy?”   We were both quite worried that you and Betsy would find us not suitable, so were delighted when you both gave us the chance to care for Marty.  It has been a blast since then!  We both really do love him to bits.  If I can’t find Cathie she will be out sitting with Marty on his mats. – Live it up!,  Mark,  Cathie and Marty.”

Mark and Cathie generously paid Marty’s adoption fee again as a donation to the SPCA.
Because the Martin’s loved Marty and went out of their way to help him, and Betsy opened up the doors of her full house and loved him too, Marty eventually found a permanent loving home with Mark and Cathie.

There are hundreds of puppies (and kittens too) just like Marty who are discarded.  And unlike Marty, they die. If they are found, they are put to sleep humanely.  Many are not found.  The SPCA believes this can be easily prevented by speying and neutering, to stop the birth of the surplus puppies.
The SPCA pays to desex all of the dogs and pups it adopts in to new homes.  You can support this scheme by adopting one of our dogs, and save yourself money too!

We have a  “Free Pet Food” scheme which enables pet owners on tight budgets to make regular prepayments for their pet’s desexing operation by saving on pet food costs. You can support this scheme by making donations of food to us, or even money to buy the food with.  If you would like to sign up, please just call in to see us in Kerikeri, or go to a vet clinic in Kawakawa, Kaikohe or Paihia.
We accept “anonymous sponsorships” where generous people, through the SPCA, pay all or some of the costs toward the desexing of an animal belonging to a person of their choice (or nominated by the SPCA).  Even a group of neighbours can pool their donations to help another neighbour out.  If you know someone you would like to help, please speak with one of our Inspectors.

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