Council knitter keep pooches warm at night
Dogs at the Animal Control Centre are keeping warm this winter thanks to staff at Hutt City Council.
Customer Contact Centre staff started knitting and sewing jumpers for the dogs after spending time with animal control officers learning more about their work. The “orientation” helped Contact Centre staff better understand the role of the officers so they could answer phone calls on their behalf.
Pictured modelling two of the jumpers knitted by Customer Contact Centre staff are dogs belonging to Animal Control Officer Jane Schuitema (seated left). With Jane are Ngawai Allen (far right) and Helen Wagener from the Contact Centre.
Keen knitter Helen Wagener saw a need for warm jumpers and asked other staff if they could help out. Volunteers came forward with offers of knitting and wool, and soon patterns were also found for polar-fleece coats that better fitted the larger dogs. So far more than 15 coats have been knitted and half a dozen sewn.
Anyone who would like to offer their knitting or sewing skills, or have blankets to spare for the Animal Control Centre, can call Hutt City Council on 570-6666.