Abbey

Abbey rarely knows where the day will take her.

It might mean collecting an abandoned dog from a pound, driving an injured dog to an emergency veterinary appointment, delivering food to a family doing it tough, or visiting a school
to talk about responsible dog ownership.

Whatever the day brings, Abbey gets in the car and goes.

As the founder of Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue, Abbey has dedicated the past 18 years to caring for neglected, abandoned and vulnerable dogs across Canterbury. Today, the organisation's work extends well beyond rehoming dogs. The team helps owners access desexing programmes, delivers food to families, visits schools and community groups, and brings rescue dogs into hospitals, rest homes and residential care facilities. Along the way, supporting people has become just as important as supporting animals. When the rescue first began, Abbey hoped one day it might no longer be needed. 

"When we set up this organisation 18 years ago, the dream was that one day our services would no longer be needed," she says. "But the need is as great as ever." 

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the world. While many dogs are treasured members of the family, not every owner is prepared for the long-term commitment. When circumstances change, Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue is often there to help.
 

One Thing After Another

Without a reliable vehicle, almost every part of the rescue becomes harder.

Within a matter of weeks, one rescue vehicle was vandalised before another was written off.

"We have had a really bad run of luck recently," Abbey says. "It has been one thing after the other with our van getting vandalised and then one being written off. We do a lot of driving for our dogs, so to be without transport really impacts our organisation."

The dogs didn't know there were transport problems. They still needed someone to show up.

There were dogs to collect from pounds and airports. Vet appointments couldn't wait. Food still needed to reach families. Community visits were already in the diary.

Abbey found a way.

"We just do keep on going with what we have, penny pinching and tightening the belt on
certain things," she says. "I'm very stubborn. I refuse to say we can't do this anymore."

After the second vehicle was broken into, replacing it felt further away than ever.

"After the second car was broken into, I was like, how are we going to get anything half decent with that amount of money?"

A Surprise Return

Not long before learning she had been nominated for Cars for Good, Abbey walked into easyauto123 Christchurch to test drive a Nissan X-Trail.

She was simply trying to work out what might be possible after such a difficult run with the rescue's vehicles, completely unaware that members of the easyauto123 Christchurch team and local community had already nominated Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue for a vehicle donation.

When she returned to the dealership, she thought she was there for a meeting. 

Instead, alongside Cars for Good ambassador Sir Michael Jones, the team handed Abbey the keys to a Nissan X-Trail.

"You guys have changed my life," she said. "This is insane."

One Less Thing to Carry

The X-Trail doesn't change the work waiting for Abbey tomorrow. There will still be rescue calls, dogs needing medical care, families asking for support and long days on the road. 

What it does provide is confidence that the next journey can happen safely, whether that's an emergency trip to the vet, collecting a rescue dog, delivering donated food or travelling to a foster home. With room for large dog crates and the equipment rescue work demands, it's built for the everyday reality of the organisation. 

Abbey didn't have to wait long to appreciate the difference.

"Had to drive a dog out to Pegasus Vets yesterday," she shared afterwards. "Holy heck it was nice not being on the motorway and feeling like I am in a Final Destination movie!"

"With the social media following we have, it's amazing to see everyone rally behind us whenever I put a post up. Being able to drive dogs safely to the vet, particularly during their darkest hours, is such a blessing. Thank you so much to the team at easyauto123."

Tomorrow there will be another phone call, and somewhere across Canterbury another dog will need help.

Abbey will answer, just as she always has. She'll get in the X-Trail and go where she's needed.

To learn more about Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue, the work they do across Canterbury, or how you can support their mission, visit www.chchbullbreedrescue.org.nz