About New Zealand Chihuahua Rescue:

New Zealand Chihuahua Rescue ("NZCR") is a registered Charitable Trust (charity no. CC55119) founded in 2017, after a need for a rescue dedicated specifically to the re-homing of Chihuahuas and Chihuahua crosses was identified. 

Although we are based predominantly in Canterbury, we operate throughout the entirety of New Zealand - assisting dogs all over the country! We receive in dogs from local Animal shelters, other Rescues, breeding kennels or private owners.

We are a privately run, breed-specific rescue that survives off of donations, sponsorship and fundraising efforts. All of our team members are volunteers and we receive no government funding. We are paid in an abundance of doggy cuddles and love!

Being an ethical rescue - we ensure that before each dog is adopted, they are de-sexed, vaccinated up to date, micro-chipped, registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register, registered with the local Council and flea and wormed treated. The dogs in our care also receive any other necessary veterinary care unique to their situation such as: dentals, blood screening or specialist surgeries, at the cost of our charity. We aim to ensure that any and all health issues are corrected prior to adoption, or disclosed to prospective Adopters.

As an organization, we also aim to educate the public on our breed, the importance of de-sexing and prevalence of irresponsible breeding of Chihuahuas. 

A couple of our recent adoption or re-homing success stories are found on this website under "success stories".

About Our Team:

We have a specialized, caring and dedicated team behind our Rescue to ensure that our trust dogs are given the best care from the moment they arrive. Our foster carers have experience with dogs, Chihuahuas especially. Many of our foster parents also have a background in veterinary nursing, animal behavior, psychology or dog training. Once dogs are placed in care, our foster carers nurse them through any medical procedures and identify any issues. We then set about shaping them into happy, well-adjusted, social pets. 

The Rescue is managed our Trustees, currently husband and wife coup0le, Casey and Alex and Dr Tracey Tonkin. Our Trustees have a background in rescue, having privately rescued and re-homed numerous animals for a number of years before beginning the New Zealand Chihuahua Rescue Trust. Our team members also attend animal welfare, behavior and training courses and seminars. Our Trustees are very familiar with the breed and it's quirks, having owned and assisted many Chihuahuas and other small breeds in the past. Our Trustees are also very active in their local Chihuahua Community.

One of our Trustees is a skillful and experienced vet who happens to be an expert on the breed! Dr Tracey Tonkin, BVsc (Hons)  is also the Chihuahua breed health liaison officer for DogsNZ (formerly the NZKC or New Zealand Kennel Club). Our dogs are safe in the hands with a Vet that not only knows about chihuahuas, but specializes in them! 

New Zealand Chihuahua Rescue in the Media:

See below for some articles, television and radio interviews on our Trust. To contact NZCR about media inquiries please use the "contact us" form or email noted above.

For more information about our organization see the following links:  Facebook Page      |        Instagram   

The Aims of our Charity:

• To rescue Chihuahuas from situations of neglect and abuse and place them in suitable foster care arrangements and/or permanent homes. 

• To collect and re-home Chihuahuas which are unclaimed and due to be euthanized from Council Pounds in the areas in which the Trust is operating.
  
• To provide facilities and resources to assist in the control of the population of unwanted Chihuahuas by de-sexing those placed in the Trust’s care. 

•  To raise funds for to benefit of Chihuahuas in the care of the Trust, as required. 

• To prevent, by education or other means, irresponsible breeding and ownership of the breed and educate the public as to how the breed should be best cared for, so that there are less Chihuahuas surrendered to be re-homed. 

We also take in other small or toy breed dogs when we have the capacity to do so. Please contact us to discuss if you require assistance.

What Type of Dogs Do We Help?

Chihuahuas, Chihuahua-crosses and various other toy breeds (when we have the capacity to do so). We have assisted Papillons, Chinese-Crested, Maltese, Pekingese, Griffons and Pomeranians prior. 

Toy breeds have an age expectancy of between 17-20 years and there is no age limit to dogs that we take into our Rescue. The oldest dog we have assisted to date was 14 years young!  Prior to being adopted, we ensure all their medical care is attended to or any health issues disclosed. A review of our prior cases, conducted in November 2021 concluded that the most common ages that we receive dogs in is between 1-2 years old and between 6-10 years old.

We welcome dogs who need medical care or behavioral assistance. We are not afraid of a challenge and receive in all kinds of dogs. In our view, no situation is too hopeless. We have taken dogs into our Rescue who have had tremendously difficult lives and appear feral. It simply takes time, patience and training to rehabilitate them successfully. We do not euthanize any dogs for behavioral issues – in fact, we expect them! 

We do not judge former owner's reasons for needing to re-home their dog, it is often out of genuine necessity and selflessness that owners or Breeders contact us for assistance. We pride ourselves on remaining non-judgmental, understanding and discreet for those concerned about their privacy.  We are happy to confidentially assist with finding new homes for dogs. They do not need to appear on our social media or website if this is your preference.

We also offer assistance to breeders and dog exhibitors who wish to re-home their ex-breeding dogs, or retired show dogs into happy pet "retirement" homes. We offer friendly, confidential, assistance to anyone who requires it.

Is There a Need for A Chihuahua Rescue? Why?

For information on why we began a Chihuahua Rescue, and our personal story, please see the below link, "Pippin's Legacy".