In January 2015 Cat Rescue Dunedin was formed by a small group of Dunedin residents who had seen the need for someone to begin helping the wild-born and abandoned cats and kittens living on the streets of Dunedin. We became a charitable trust in June 2015, and since then we have desexed and rehomed thousands of kittens which would otherwise have been left to breed uncontrollably. We were formerly known as the Animal Rescue Network NZ. We are committed to reducing the wild-born and stray cat population through a combination of Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) and adoption. Cats which are unable to be socialised to live with people can be humanely managed by a process known as trap, neuter, return (TNR).
This means that the cats are desexed and returned to their environment where a caretaker feeds and monitors the cats to ensure their continued wellbeing. Desexing the cats ensures that their numbers don't increase, and over time the colony size reduces naturally.
Our long-term aim is to have our own shelter but until then all of our cats and kittens are fostered in private homes until they are ready for adoption. In January 2021, we opened an Intake Centre in Caversham to serve as a first point of call for cats who are in need of our help until our volunteer fosters come to pick them up. We are a volunteer-run organisation which is fully funded through our charity shop and donations. If you would like to get involved, please donate and support us through volunteering.