Pounding the pavement for SPCA

Stephen Brassett with Tauranga SPCA animal welfare inspector Anna Porteous and Piccolo and Jake.

One man's mission to help connect SPCA and animal welfare groups with others in the community is taking him on a 4500km journey around New Zealand.

Stephen Brassett set off from the Southland SPCA on January 7.

He spent the last six months walking up through the South Island and made his way to Tauranga SPCA today.

Stephen says they have been walking up the western route and are now in the Bay of Plenty.

'From here, we are heading south and going to try and hit some of the inland SPCAs and rescue shelters throughout the North Island.

'At the moment we are sitting at about 1000 miles, which is around 1608km.”

Stephen's whole trip will be around 4500km.

He says he has never done anything like this before.

'(My body) has been coping. In the beginning I had a bit of stiffness in my calves and everyday my shoulders are a little bit tired, but nothing dramatic.”

Jake is the bigger of the two dogs, he is a pug-cross and is about 5.

Stephen says Jake tends to walk with him most of the way.

And then there is Piccolo. He is the smaller of the two and is an 11-year-old Chihuahua-cross.

'He's a bit more nervous of new situations, so when I'm in busy areas he tends to be in the camper.”

Stephen says the aim of his journey is to help the animal welfare groups get their message out.

'I am trying to promote what they do and let people know of some of the unknown centres or groups and hopefully help get the organisations to more people and more help.”

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