With Giving Tuesday taking place on 2 December, Companion Animals NZ is calling on New Zealanders to help give vulnerable animals a safer, healthier start in life — and to support life-changing reunions like the one that unfolded recently for an Auckland family and their much-loved cat, Mo.
This year, Companion Animals NZ is aiming to raise more than $10,000 to support desexing and microchipping grants for shelters across Aotearoa, ensuring more animals can be protected, reunited, and given the best possible beginning. Every cat, dog (or other species!) helped through these grants also receives free registration on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register.
CANZ CEO, Pete Monk, says "Last year, New Zealanders showed us what’s possible when we come together for animals who need us most. We hoped to raise $6,000 — and with generous public donations we blew that out of the water.
“Combining donations with funds we’d already committed from our organisation, we were able to contribute $180,000 in grants that went to more than 20 shelters across the country. This supported 750 animals to be desexed and 2000 animals with microchipping, and registration.”
Mo’s story: Fourteen years missing — and finally home
Mo, a friendly, smoochy Auckland cat, disappeared from his Beach Haven home in 2011. His family searched tirelessly — flyers, vet notifications, social posts — but Mo never reappeared. As the years passed, his guardians moved homes, and even overseas, carrying with them the quiet heartbreak of not knowing what became of him.
Then recently, everything changed.
A veterinary clinic on the North Shore scanned a stray cat’s microchip and, despite outdated details, traced Mo’s guardian using his name and university profile.
Nearly 14 years after he went missing, Mo was reunited with his family a few weeks ago in what his guardian described as a “gobsmacking” moment.
“His personality hasn’t changed one bit,” his guardian Paul said. “He had the whole vet team eating out of his hand. Just a huge love bug.”
While parts of Mo’s long journey remain unknown, one thing is clear: his microchip number was the key that brought him home.
CANZ CEO, Pete, continues that Mo’s reunion is a powerful reminder of why microchipping — and most importantly keeping registration details up to date — is essential.
“With thousands of lost animals entering shelters every year, microchipping remains one of the most effective tools for returning pets to the people who love them. Registration on the NZ Companion Animal Register is the most critical step – it is where people keep their contact details up to date so that they can be contacted in the event their animal does go missing. A microchip alone is not enough.”
This year’s fundraising is already underway, with a live tracker showing progress toward the $10,000 goal CANZ is hoping once again to exceed. Every contribution helps give vulnerable animals across New Zealand a truly great start — and may one day help make another extraordinary reunion possible.
Donations can be made here: Companion Animals NZ - Give them a Great Start
ABOUT CANZ
Companion Animals New Zealand (CANZ) is an independent, science-based charity committed to ensuring all companion animals live a 'Good Life' with responsible guardians. We use education, advocacy and community programmes to achieve this. We also operate the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR), the country's largest microchip database with more than 1.4 million pets registered. Our Board comprises independent trustees and representatives from a range of animal welfare groups, including SPCA, New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA), Dogs NZ, New Zealand. Cat Fancy, the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) and the New Zealand Institute of Animal Management (NZIAM).