From rescued to rehomed: Koda’s story

When our SPCA Inspector first met Koda, he was tethered to a kennel by a short chain. He was worryingly thin, and was subdued and withdrawn.

“It was as though he’d resigned himself to life on a chain,” says our Inspector Sam. “Because of his size, those caring for him struggled to safely manage him. If he was left untethered, he was able to escape the property by jumping the fences.

“While this didn’t appear to be a case of intentional cruelty – rather a case of pet owners who were really struggling in many ways – we’re very glad that we were able to discuss the regulations around prolonged tethering,” says Sam.

“By surrendering him into SPCA’s care they were hopeful that he could be rehomed somewhere where he could live his life off a chain.”

In some situations attended by our Inspectorate, there are clear instances of cruelty or intentional neglect. However, in many cases, the underlying issues can be more complex that they first appear. Not every situation stems from deliberate harm, but rather various circumstances and challenges the owner may be facing.

Personal hardships, limited resources, environmental struggles or a lack of knowledge can all impact the level of care provided to an animal. Some pet owners may not recognise certain signs of poor animal welfare, or may feel unsure about where to turn for help.

In these instances, education and support can be just as important as enforcement, helping to improve longer-term outcomes, for both pets and their owners.

Updated dog tethering regulations came into effect in September of 2025, and have been of great help to our Inspectorate by providing clearer standards to address prolonged and harmful chaining of dogs.

After the owners surrendered Koda into our care, he was brought into our Centre and checked over by our vet team.

Our Canine Attendant Katie recalls his initial condition.

“He was so underweight, lacking muscle, had pressure sores, and his coat was very course and dull,” Katie says.“He was just so malnourished. “Because of this, we had to be very careful in introducing his new diet – we had to start off with bland meals, small and often. Once his digestive system adapted, we introduced special Purina food, natural supplements and eventually wet food to continue his weight gain. It was a going to be a long process because Koda was sitting at only 33kg, when he should have been around 45kg.”

Despite his condition and all he’d been through, Katie says he was a sweet boy who loved the attention he was getting from the team.

“Koda just wanted love,” Katie says. “He soaked in as much attention as he could get, leaning into anybody nearby that could pat him. As his confidence grew, he could even be cheeky and stubborn at times –once he’d developed some muscle, he was jumping up to try and give us kisses!”

As time went on, Koda continued to gain weight. His transformation was heartwarming for our staff and volunteers to see.

“When he had gained enough weight, we started taking him for short walks. He was an absolute delight, and showed how well-behaved he could be.

“After he’d made so much progress, we knew the time was right to list him as available for adoption,” Katie says. “Though some dog adoptions can take a long time, he was lucky to get to stay in a loving foster home so that he didn’t have to spend all his time waiting in the Centre.”

Koda first spent time in the home of one of our loving fosterers named Claire.

“Claire was so committed to helping Koda along his journey, and did an amazing job settling him into home life,” Katie says. “With her feedback we were able to learn a lot about Koda’s needs, and saw a big improvement in his behaviour too as he became so much more relaxed.”

When Clare was no longer able to foster him after a couple of months, thankfully our SPCA volunteer Indy and her family took over. They had only recently lost their own dog, Arwen, and were still grieving this loss.

Indy’s mum, Jen, told us about their decision to bring Koda into their home.

“We were still grieving Arwen, but something in me knew this boy was special. The moment he arrived, he felt like home,” Jen says.

“Koda settled into our busy family life almost overnight. He comes everywhere with us, football and netball training and games, and everyone who meets him falls in love. He’s the definition of a gentle giant: calm, clever, and so incredibly kind.”

After three months of fostering Koda, the family knew that he wasn’t going back to the Centre, or to any other home.

“It was clear he wasn’t going anywhere,” says Jen. “He had found the six of us, and we had found the missing piece we didn’t know we were waiting for. 

“He now spends his days following me from room to room, eagerly awaits his morning cream cheese (which hides his medicine!), checking on the many bones he’s buried in the backyard, or snoozing on a sunny patch of lawn like he’s lived here forever.

“We feel so lucky to have this beautiful old boy in our family. He’s healthy, happy, and deeply loved - and we’re certain he was always meant to be with us.”

Koda is just one of the thousands of animals that SPCA is able to help every year, and one of the many who are lucky to spend time in a loving foster home. If this is something you would be interested in being a part of, you can learn more and view current foster opportunities online.