A Canterbury dog rescue organisation is seeking legal action claiming it has been the target of malicious social media accusations.

Posted photos of husky dogs on several Facebook pages allege Husky Rescue NZ, of mistreating animals.

The images of dogs, including one in a small cage.

The photos were unable to be independently verified and Husky Rescue has been approached for comment.

In April, The Christchurch Star reported, Husky Rescue NZ, which is based in Rolleston and has been operating for 11 years, had more than 70 dogs in its care.

But a lack of visitors and events due to the coronavirus lockdown meant it had to dramatically reduce this number.

In a Facebook post made last night, Husky Rescue NZ said it has become aware of posts with photos and videos claiming mistreatment of dogs, staff and volunteers.

It said “these statements are malicious distortions of the truth.”

“They have been put together from a number of completely unrelated incidents that sometimes happen over a period of many years when you are looking after up to 60 dogs at any one time.”

The organisation says the photos have been deliberately misrepresented in order to make it appear that there is a systematic problem with animal welfare at Husky Rescue NZ.

“We believe that these false and malicious claims are legally actionable and are seeking legal advice.”

“We have been visited by a number of animal authorities over the years, including random visits that we did not know were occurring, some as recently as this week. They have had no concerns.”

“Because this is now highly likely to become a legal matter, we will not be commenting further other than to note that Husky Rescue was already in the process of closing down because of the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which deprived us of more than 90% of the income we have used to care for these dogs.”

SPCA response

The SPCA was approached for comment but declined the invitation, instead urging people with animal welfare concerns to contact them directly.

Christchurch dog owner overwhelming supports Husky Rescue NZ

Meanwhile, a Christchurch owner of two Husky dogs says she feels “really sorry for Husky Rescue NZ.”

She said it used to run Antarctic program, but following the global pandemic, that income stream has been lost.

The owner, who didn’t want to be named, said she regularly donates and had nothing by praise for the organisation.