The number of animal welfare complaints has spiked with the SPCA receiving more than 8000 complaints relating directly to dogs in 2017.

On the back of this, the SPCA is recruiting Kiwis to walk the distance from the Earth to the Moon with their four-legged friends to raise funds for the charity.

The newly created event titled ‘Walk Your Dog to the Moon', will see Kiwis and their pups uniting to walk an impressive 385,500 kilometres to raise money for animals in need.

More than 8000 animal welfare complaints relating directly to dogs were made in 2017 - nearly 5000 more complaints than any other animal.

Each year the demand for SPCA support grows, with more animals being brought to local shelters for care.

Earlier this year, SPCA compiled their annual statistics and in 2017 alone, SPCA received more than 15,500 animal welfare complaints – the highest recorded to date.

'Seeing a rise in the number of animal welfare complaints year on year, shows we continue to have a significant animal cruelty issues in New Zealand,” says SPCA CEO, Andrea Midgen says.

'Creating engaging fundraisers for the public is vital to ensure that we continue to help more than 45,000 animals that come through our doors each year.”

Registered Moonwalkers will be invited to an official launch event in their region in the first weekend of November, which will feature a group walk and provide an opportunity to meet fellow fundraisers and their dogs.

Locations include; Blenheim, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Wellington and two in Auckland.

'The demand for our services has never been greater. We wanted to bring our supporters a fundraising initiative that is relevant to them and in this case provides a healthy activity for them and their dog to do while raising much needed money for SPCA.

'We have high hopes for Walk Your Dog to the Moon and hope the public get behind it.”

For the first time, SPCA will be introducing their very own Furbassadors, created to encourage those who don't have a dog of their own to get involved.

The Furbassadors are cartoon creations of SPCA rescue dogs who have now been rehomed. The fundraiser has been designed to offer a meaningful and interactive virtual experience which will show participants how their efforts are impacting animals at local shelters and an online tracker which allows participants to remain up to date with how many kilometres others have walked via the websites homepage.

'Walk Your Dog to the Moon was created as the number of animals who need our help keep increasing. We firmly believe that a fundraiser with a direct connection to the animals we protect will excite existing supporters and attract a new generation of SPCA heroes,” says Andrea.

With local events, competitions and the introduction of Furbassadors, SPCA aims to raise at least $150,000 nationwide through Walk Your Dog to the Moon.

All funds donated will be used to directly help rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals.

A $12 registration fee applies to each participant which includes a doggy pedometer, doggy bandana and a welcome pack. You can register for Walk Your Dog to the Moon at: www.walktothemoon.co.nz