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A Franklin dog shelter is this week honouring Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and Bird of the Year, naming its canines Māori bird names.
The Pukekohe Adoption and Education Centre is the first council-run, adoption-only facility in New Zealand, and opened six months ago.
Shelter manager Carly Triska told the Franklin Times that all its dogs are named by themes each week.
“This week, we are honouring both Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and Bird of the Year by naming our dogs Māori bird names. Keep your eye out for Hoiho, Kea and Kākāpō who will be posted on our Facebook page this week,” she says.
Hoiho, which is the Māori name for the yellow-eyed penguin, is an 18-month-old Jack Russell cross. He is described as a “happy and affectionate Jack Russell who’s ready to find his forever home.”
“While it may take him a little time to feel comfortable around new people, once he warms up, he absolutely loves attention, whether it’s pats, cuddles, or belly rubs.”
Then there is Rewarewa, which is the Māori name for New Zealand Honeysuckle and Puriri, which refers to the Vitex Lucens, which is a New Zealand evergreen tree.
These names were given to a sibling pair of young Huskies that were found roaming by Auckland Council animal management officers.
The popularity of the puppies was so high that applications had to close within days.
Triska says the centre “will usually accept multiple applications for each dog so we can ensure we can find the home that best suits their needs.
“In this case, we are working through around six applications that seem to fit their needs from first glance, and we will take our time to fully assess each applicant and complete a ‘meet and greet’ with each of them before we start narrowing the selection.”
The facility is open to ‘walk-in’ customers from 10.30am to 2.30pm every day, excluding Wednesdays.
