Vets pushed to the limits during shortage stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The demand for pets is on the rise as more people are staying at home to work and no longer going on overseas trips. Wait times for retriever puppies bred by a regulated Dogs New Zealand member were about one to two years, she said, due to bitches only coming into season every six months “and a bitch is not mated every season that they have”. She said backyard breeders were charging “as much as they want”, as high as $6500, to hand over a puppy within months rather than years. A new working-from-home society had seen more people realise, if they wanted a puppy, there was no time like the present, Jackson said.
He estimated service cost between $30,000 to $50,000 to run each year. The challenges of rehab work meant qualified staff were needed but the number of birds could vary greatly week to week, while separate treatment areas to reduce the risk of spreading disease. He said the zoo still got frequent calls from members of the public, seeking assistance with injured birds.
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A falcon is rehabilitated at the Massey University Veterinarian School Wildlife hospital after being shot. (File photo) A Department of Conservation spokeswoman said there were no wildlife centres in Nelson providing rehabilitation care for native birds. The spokeswoman said there were two people who greatly assisted DOC in caring for injured or unwell native wildlife in a private capacity. One was a trained vet who has assisted DOC for years. They had purpose-built facilities for caring for and rehabilitating wildlife and a DOC permit to hold native wildlife.
Warmer sea temperatures making it tough for juvenile shags stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.