Man goes to park to see snowfall, then discovers abandoned litter of 7 puppies
In Te Papakura-o-Taranaki on the north island of New Zealand, a towering volcano dominates the landscape.
The area was protected as a national park more than a century ago and the volcano — Taranaki — holds sacred meaning to the local culture.
Being in the southern hemisphere, however, means tourists and hikers don’t have to deal with blazing heat and pounding sun in August. Instead, they have to worry about snow.
On Aug. 10, a man was on his way into the national park to “enjoy a recent snowfall” when he noticed something on the side of the road, according to an Aug. 19 news release from the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
It was black and white and was moving in the vegetation along the side of the road, the man told officials.
“At first glance, he thought it was a puppy but carried on driving,” Department of Conservation Ranger Cameron Hunt said in the release. “He then turned around and headed back to confirm his suspicions — and discovered the litter of seven puppies.”
Officials said the litter had been abandoned in the park, a move that is not only cruel to the animals, but also a violation of the Conservation Act that protects land from domestic pets.
The puppies are thought to be part of a collie-working dog cross breed and were brought to the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, officials said.
A veterinarian vaccinated the puppies and treated them for worms while also completing a health check.
“SPCA staff say the puppies were in extremely good body condition and had been well fed prior to being found,” according to the release. “Thankfully they were found as they would not have survived the night in the freezing snowy conditions of the national park.”
All seven puppies will eventually be available for adoption, officials said.
“Someone made a deliberate decision and effort to abandon these puppies in the national park, and to do so would’ve required some sort of vehicle making a brief stop on the roadside,” Hunt said. “We’re hopeful anyone who saw what happened will contact us and share any information such as the make, model and (color) of a vehicle — and better still a registration plate — or possibly descriptions of people they saw.”
Pets can be devastating to the protected land and species in Te Papakura-o-Taranaki, officials said.
“Dogs, in particular, pose a serious threat to kiwi and whio, both of which are found in Te Papakura-o-Taranaki,” officials said.
The park is on the western coast of the northern island of New Zealand, off the eastern coast of Australia.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Man goes to park to see snowfall, then discovers abandoned litter of 7 puppies."
