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About Us

About Us

Chained Dog Rehabilitation & Rehoming are an Auckland dog rescue that work with owners of life-chained, neglected and abused dogs to help improve their lives, and provide the tools so they can become responsible dog owners. We are a team of nationwide volunteers who educate and empower these owners to help improve their dogs living conditions.

We also rehabilitate and rehome any dogs relinquished into our care, along with working closely with many Council Animal Shelters across New Zealand.

We believe in helping ANY dog we can, no matter the size, breed or situation. 

We are predominantly based in Auckland, however can help nationwide.

Please have a look round our website to find out more about our Auckland dog rescue, our missions, and how you can help those who can't help themselves.

Our Missions

To advocate for and support dogs in our communities to achieve better health and wellbeing for the dogs through:

  • Empowering dog owners by providing them with the tools necessary to remove the need for dogs to be life-chained, neglected and abused

  • Acting with integrity, and work alongside any other organisations needed, to provide a unified response to each case

  • Identifying opportunities to provide rehabilitative care and rehoming to any dogs that are relinquished so they can live a happy, fulfilling life, no matter their size or breed

  • Providing education and community initiatives centred on reducing the number of unwanted dogs and improving the health of the dogs who need it the most.

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something

What is a Life-Chained Dog?

Life-Chained dogs are neglected or abused dogs, or puppies, that are permanently chained, for life. Typically this means the dog is:

  • rarely provided water
  • unlikely to have suitable shelter
  • inadequately fed proper food
  • infested with fleas or worms
  • unregistered nor microchipped or de-sexed
  • timid around people due to limited human interaction
  • never exercised, groomed or bathed

Why is this Important?

Imagine being chained up all day, with nothing to eat or drink, no shelter, and no idea when you are next going to see someone for food, exercise, or some love.

Imagine getting sick, and no one cares enough to take you to the doctor.

Imagine sitting in a pile of dirt, or mud, alone, with no one to play with, and watching people go past, ignoring you.

There are many dogs in NZ that are forced to live in these appalling conditions day after day, sometimes until they fade away and die.

No living creature should have to live like this, and we would like to see some changes in the law so that this is no longer an issue in NZ society.

Life-chaining dogs is cruel, inhumane and a threat to the safety of not only the confined dog, but other animals and humans as well. Life-chaining violates the dogs nature as social animals and dogs that are kept alone on one spot for hours, days, months or years, suffer immense psychological damage. They can become neurotic, anxious and sometimes even aggressive. Most attacks by life-chained dogs are on children, as children do not understand when a dog is scared or in pain and are not capable of diagnosing aggressive behaviour in a chained dog. Life-chained dogs can also develop serious health issues including sores and raw necks due being improperly tethered and straining to escape confinement. Chain entanglement is common and the dogs are then unable to access food, water and shelter. Life-chaining creates aggressiveness not protectiveness.

Life Chained Dogs are New Zealands dirty little secret.  These dogs are generally hidden away from the public eye, in backyards everywhere. This isn’t in one area of society, or with certain breeds of dogs. This can affect any dog, from a poodle to a german shepherd, to a mixed breed dog from a backyard breeder.  And it needs to stop.  Which is where our team come in.  And why we need YOUR help.

Helping these dogs is not cheap, and we have no public funding. Every cent we have is scraped together from the amazing generous people who donate to us and support our fundraising initiatives. 

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