Most dog owners in Hokitika received the message about keeping dogs under control in order to share the beach with penguins but they missed out on a fabulous breakfast!
The first Dogs’ Breakfast event was rather a soggy affair with only a few dogs and their owners braving the heavy rain on Sunday (16th June).
Hokitika Vets had provided an abundance of dog food and wonderful bakers Robyn, Ralf and Zoe had made cakes and scones but low numbers found the Trust and the breakfast sheltered at the rear of the SPCA Op Shop on Hokitika’s Beach Street.
The aim of the event was to remind local dog owners that penguins live on the beach and that dogs will kill them if they get a chance. The message is that dogs and penguins can share the beach provided that dogs are under control, and that means ensuring they are secure at home and not able to roam from the garden.
Wonderful volunteers Fran, Clare, Dave and Diane distributed leaflets to households within three blocks of the beach and the message was included on radio community announcements and within the local paper. Although the event was disappointing from an attendance point of view, from the point of view of raising awareness, the event was a great success through the advance notices that went out to the local community.
The Trust aims to offer the event again next year and to offer it in other locations where dogs and penguins share popular beaches.
In the meantime, thank you to SPCA Hokitika for providing shelter, support and, importantly power, and thank you to insinc products for providing free biodegradable hot drink cups – the hot drinks were a life saver on such a cold wet morning!
