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Rescue the Rescue: Help Us Find a Home

$5,420 of $400,000 goal

Given by 6 generous donors in 5 days

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Help Ruahine Animal Rescue secure a new home so we can keep saving vulnerable animals.

Waipukurau, Hawke's Bay

For almost 3 years, Ruahine Animal Rescue has been a lifeline for vulnerable animals across Central Hawke's Bay. Every kitten, puppy, dog and cat we've saved has been possible because of the kindness of our community.

Now, we need your help.

Our current home is coming to an end, and we must secure a new place to continue our work. We refuse to let this be the end of Ruahine Animal Rescue. With your support, it will simply be the beginning of our next chapter.

Every dollar donated will help us establish a new home where we can continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in need. This isn't about buildings. It's about giving frightened animals a second chance, and making sure our community always has somewhere to turn when an animal needs help.

Ruahine Animal Rescue has always been powered by the generosity of Central Hawke's Bay. This rescue belongs to all of us, and together we can keep it saving lives for years to come.

If you've ever adopted from us, volunteered, donated, shared one of our posts, or simply believed that every animal deserves a chance, this is your opportunity to help secure our future.

Please give what you can, share our fundraiser, and help us rescue the rescue.

Together, we can ensure that hope always has a home.

About us

There is a proliferation nationwide of unwanted and dumped dogs and cats. Rescue services are struggling to cope with the demand. Such animals in our area need our intervention and protection.

Ruahine Animal Rescue was been founded by a group of passionate animal lovers most of whom have been involved with the now defunct Waipukurau SPCA. Their volunteering ranged from 1 to 29 years.

Since the closure of the Waipukurau SPCA the RAR has identified a significant absence of animal rescue in the area and to address this we have a vision to provide a compassionate and safe haven for animals in Central Hawkes Bay running a rescue organisation based significantly on using the community for fostering.

In addition, we recognised that the impact of the economic situation compounded by Cyclone Gabrielle has created unfortunate changes in circumstance for some people who are forced into rehoming their loved pets and are now desperate for help in this.

Ruahine Animal Rescue is determined to offer the community a compassionate alternative service for care of animals and long term become a registered charity.

Use of funds

Funds will secure a new home for Ruahine Animal Rescue — lease/purchase, setup and facilities to keep rescuing animals. If we don't reach target, we'll ask our community to help decide how funds raised are best used to support the rescue. A page updated at the time.

Other page links

Rescue the rescue 16 July 2026

We've just launched! 🐾

For almost 3 years, Ruahine Animal Rescue has been here for vulnerable animals across Central Hawke's Bay — and now we need Central Hawke's Bay to be here for us.

We've lost the lease on our current home and need to raise funds for a new, permanent space so we can keep rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in need.

This campaign has just gone live, and every donation — big or small — gets us one step closer.

Please give what you can, and share this page with anyone who loves animals as much as we do. 🐶🐱

Thank you for being part of this from day one.

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On average, fundraisers pay just 2% to use Givealittle. This is one of the lowest effective fees in New Zealand fundraising. We charge a 5% platform fee to cover the cost of running the platform. Because most donors choose to top up their donation to cover this fee, the effective cost paid by fundraisers is about 2%. That means around 98 cents of every dollar raised goes to the cause. Learn More

Latest donations

Aroha 6 hours ago

Ridiculous actions by the council, are they going to bring the SPCA back to the entire region? Council would rather have a jail for animals than a rehabilitation centre. Smart move council.

$100