ON THE BUTTON
About three years ago I was questioned by Upper Hutt City Council survey staff about what is ideally needed for the two large parks/reserves in the Wallaceville Estate in Wallaceville.
So from the top of my head, I said a large, interesting children's playground and some open and covered bench seating for Grant's Bush Reserve and all weather pedestrian/dog walkers tracks/pathways plus strategic bench seating for The Reserve.
Lo and behold this is exactly what the Council has done now that work has almost been completed in The Reserve.
I take full credit or no credit.
The most remarkable thing is that the playground is an absolute beacon for other recreational activities in the surrounding grassy (and weedy) areas summer and winter.
And I now have seen kids playing football in The Reserve.
My "job" has been to keep hassling the Council regarding Grant's Bush Reserve grass/weeds mowed more often so that the fields can be utilised for all the extraordinary activities that go on. I think I have won on this count.
Prior to the children's playground, GBR was pretty much dead apart from a few people exercising their dogs. Now even this activity has grown enormously.
Children and adults do come from further afield just than those living in the estate.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️