FEATURE
MARLBOROUGH DOG PAWZ
HELP STRUGGLING ANIMALS
FIND THEIR FEET
STORY: KAT DUGGAN
W
hen Michelle Madsen and
Leslie Hamersley began their
journey with Marlborough Dog Pawz, the
aim was to help neglected puppies and
dogs into loving homes.
Two years on, their repertoire has
expanded to include cats and kittens, and
the job does not seem to be getting any
smaller.
The initiative was started when the pair
saw an increase in puppies and dogs
being given away for free, Michelle says.
“We started it a couple of years ago more
for desexing and rehoming of dogs but it
got out of control, sort of, we realised that
there was a lot of animals in need.”
“We will pick up puppies off Facebook
or Trade Me then we make sure they
are desexed, vaccinated, chipped and
registered. Then we do a property
inspection and meet the family [of the
new home],” she says.
A lot of work goes into making sure both
cats and dogs are fit for a new home,
and Marlborough Dog Pawz has been
lucky to have had the support from
local businesses like The Vet Centre
Marlborough.
The centre helps out through occasional
‘cat desexing days’, volunteering their
time and money to the cause, and also
by offering a good desexing rate for the
organisation year-round.
Ethan Alderlieste helps his mother Cheryl Alderlieste
look after foster pets for Marlborough Dog Pawz. Pictured
here with family dogs, from left, Maya, Slug and Doobie.
MATT BROWN
22
August 2019
“We would desex hundreds of cats in a
year. We did 89 in one hit a few weeks ago
through the Vet Centre, they are amazing.
All the nurses and the vets donated their
day, we started at eight in the morning