Desexing Programme
Terms & Conditions

The Best Dog Trust – Desexing Programme Terms & Conditions    
 

Who can apply

• You must live in Whangārei or Kaipara District (i.e. within Whangarei District Council or Kaipara District Council boundaries).

• You must be the owner of the dog, or have the owner’s permission to apply.

• This programme is for people who genuinely need financial help to desex their dog. If you can afford to desex your dog, please do not apply.

• Your dog must be over 5 months old.
   

Our priorities

• Medium to large breeds, including staffy, pitbull, bulldog, sharpei, and farming dogs.

• Black and brindle dogs, as they’re the hardest to rehome.

• Community Services Card (CSC) holders and others experiencing genuine financial hardship.

• We cannot assist with dogs purchased from breeders or pet shops.

• Certain breeds or crossbreeds (e.g. pugs, British or French bulldogs) may not be eligible due to high risk of complications and higher surgical costs.

• Currently, due to high demand and limited funding, we are unable to help with small dog breeds.
   

What you need to know

• Please answer all questions on the application form truthfully. This helps us ensure the safety of your dog and the vet team.

• You’ll need reliable transport to and from the vet. Your dog cannot walk home after surgery.

• You must follow all pre-surgery instructions, including:

  • No food after 8pm the night before

  • No food or water the morning of the surgery

• The owner or a responsible adult must accompany the dog to the clinic.

• Your dog must:

  • Wear a collar and lead

  • Wait in the car on arrival until checked in

  • Be left in the car while the owner advises the vet they have arrived

• If your dog is reactive or cannot be safely handled, the surgery may be cancelled.

• Your dog needs a safe, warm, dry place to recover.

• Aftercare may not be included. If your dog suffers any post-surgery issues, complications, or infections, contact the vet who did the procedure and also let us know. We handle these (rare) cases individually.
   

Availability & funding

• This programme is funding dependent. If we don’t have enough funds, we may:

  • Prioritise certain dogs

  • Place your dog on a waiting list

  • Temporarily close applications

• We receive no government funding — we rely on grants, donations, and sponsorships.

• Currently, we can offer this programme free of charge, but this may change depending on available funding.
   

Our right to decline

• We reserve the right to decline any application, dog, owner, or procedure at our discretion.

• If you have multiple dogs, the number of desexing procedures available per household may vary.
   

How we use and share your personal information

By applying, you agree to us collecting, using, and sharing your personal information as outlined below.

We may collect and share:

• Your name, address, and contact details

• Your Community Services Card details

• Information about your dog

This information is only used to run the desexing programme and may be shared with:

• Approved veterinary clinics

• The Humane Society of NZ (which may provide matched funding for CSC holders)

• Other trusted partners supporting the programme.
  
  We do not keep or share any microchip details. These are managed between you, your vet, and the national animal register. If your dog receives a microchip through the programme, it is your responsibility to ensure it is registered correctly and kept up to date if your details change.

For more information, please check out our Privacy Policy.

Responsibility

The Best Dog Trust (formerly Ruakaka Dog Rescue) and our funders accept no responsibility for injury or death of any animal associated with the operation of this programme.

Declaration

The owner or person in charge of the dog verifies that all information provided is correct to the best of their knowledge and accepts the Terms & Conditions and important information outlined above.
 

By applying via our programme and / or submitting this form, you agree to our Terms & Conditions.

Legal stuff

These terms are governed by New Zealand law. If any part of these terms is found to be invalid, the rest still apply.

We may update these Terms & Conditions at any time. If there are important changes, we’ll notify you on our website. By continuing to apply or use our services, you agree to the updated terms.

Contact us

Got a question? Email: bestdogtrust@gmail.com

Last updated: 17 April 2025
 

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