From rescued to rehomed: Nala's story

Every so often at SPCA, an animal comes into our care with a story that is truly hard to forget.

After a call from a concerned member of the public, Nala was brought in to our New Plymouth Centre where the team were shocked and heartbroken to see her emaciated condition. Her ribs were easily visible through her dirty coat, and her eyes told of a story of neglect.

The team rushed to give Nala the medical treatment that she so badly needed, and it was easy to tell that hers would not be a quick recovery. Perhaps even more upsetting than her physical condition was seeing her mental state; Nala was anxious around people, and didn’t know how to behave like a normal dog.

Everything was done to ensure that Nala felt safe, comfortable and loved, and the team put in the hard yards to ensure her rehabilitation would be a success.

It didn’t happen overnight – but day by day, week by week, Nala’s health improved. She gained a good amount of weight, became more confident, and finally began to come out of her shell.

When Nala was ready for adoption, the New Plymouth team were excited to see who might come through the door and offer this deserving girl a second chance at happiness.

The big day came when Ruby and Russell visited the Centre, fell in love with Nala, and decided to take her home. Anna from our Inspectorate team said it was wonderful to see.

“I’m so happy that she made the progress she did, and was adopted into such a great loving home!”

Nala found happiness and comfort with Ruby and Russell, who shared how she has been settling in to her new life.

“At first, she was quite shy, and didn’t know how to play with any of the toys we got her. We would roll a ball towards her, and she would just gently move out of the way. Now, a few months later, she loves tennis balls!” they said.

“She just zooms around with them in her mouth, or throws them in the air and pushes them along chasing them.”

It’s clear that the love she’s received has transformed Nala into a completely different dog. And we’re so happy to hear all about it!

“The beach is probably her favourite place to go, as she just loves exploring and chasing the sea foam. We have a few friends with dogs, and she loves hanging out with them and running around with the kids. Her tail is constantly wagging and she loves going anywhere with us. We couldn’t imagine our lives without her.”

Do you want to help deserving dogs in New Zealand, like Nala? Here is how you can change a dog’s life today:

• Browse foster opportunities near you to provide temporary love and care while dogs heal
• View dogs still waiting for their forever families to adopt them