As a newly graduated vet, after a few years working in the UK, I wanted to spread my wings and explore the world. That journey eventually brought me to New Zealand - but my first port of call was a bustling city.

It was 1994 and I still remember the culture shock: the dramatic flight into the city, where you could look straight into people’s apartments as the plane landed; the towering skyscrapers; the noise, the smells, even pigs being butchered on the street. It was a far cry from the quiet British countryside I was used to. 

The veterinary clinic I worked in was tiny, around 29m2, with a reception area, consulting room, surgery, radiography, and kenneling all crammed into the same space. The pet shop trade was booming, and many very young puppies, some just five or six weeks old, were being sold. Sadly, these adorable puppies often had a rough start to life. They were raised in puppy farms, weaned too early, then flown to be mixed with other puppies and sold in pet shop windows.

Many hadn’t been vaccinated – or if they had, they wouldn’t have been fully protected at this age. Distemper and parvovirus were commonplace, and these tiny pups had little chance of surviving if infected. It was distressing for everyone involved.  

Several years later, when I arrived in New Zealand, I still saw cases of parvovirus in puppies and kittens, but never in the same numbers as in the east. Here, most puppies have a much better start to life, and pet owners tend to be more knowledgeable about pet ownership and the importance of vaccinations. Worryingly, we are seeing an increase in vaccination hesitancy worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. As vaccination rates drop, so does herd immunity, leaving unvaccinated pets, or those with weaker immune systems, increasingly vulnerable.

My experience in the east was fantastic in so many ways, but treating those sick puppies and consoling their owners was the hardest part. It reinforced an important truth: prevention is better than cure. Ensuring your pet has strong immunity against preventable diseases is one of the best ways to keep them safe and healthy.

If you’re unsure of your pet’s vaccination status, give us a call - we can check that everything is up to date.